LORRY DRIVERS POTENTIALLY FACING £150 COVID TEST FINE

In a move to prevent traffic snarl-ups on the UK/EU border, the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering implementing a £150 penalty for lorry drivers arriving in Kent without possession of a negative COVID-19 test result, similar to that for not having a Kent Access Permit when entering the county.

According to the Daily Mail, 2,400 drivers a day are thought to turn up at the border without having taken a test for the coronavirus, despite the availability of 34 testing centres across the UK.

DfT officials say that the penalties will only happen if it is considered to be necessary due to the large number of goods vehicles entering Kent without the right test documentation.

A DfT spokesperson said: “Hauliers looking to cross the Channel should take their Covid-19 test before they enter Kent to help traffic flow.

“While we’re pleased many hauliers have heeded our calls to use 34 testing sites we’ve set up across the country, too many are still entering Kent without having taken a test and received a negative result.”

The spokesperson added that traffic volumes are expected to increase, and stronger measures were needed to ensure a continuous traffic flow and that the DfT welcomes views from the industry on how the potential fine can be implemented, but hauliers should not neglect the requirement to get a test before entering the county.

Post-Brexit, there were fears that there would be tailbacks to border crossings such as the Port of Dover due to the extra paperwork required, but the need for COVID-19 testing has only added to this.

France is now demanding that nobody enters its country without having had a negative Covid test in the previous 72 hours.

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