Like many people I’ve been shocked at the situation on Kent’s roads.
It's hugely frustrating that owing to problems with French border police at Dover, Operation Brock has once again been needed.
On Friday 22 July I convened a meeting with Kent County Council, the Kent Resilience Forum, and local Parish Councils for an update on the situation and to give local councillors the opportunity to express their concerns.
What’s particularly frustrating is that many of the problems we saw with Operation Brock over Easter have come back – including lorries rat running through narrow lanes and villages to avoid the Op Brock queues.
I’ve stressed to local authorities that we need better enforcement to stop lorries using local roads which are completely unsuitable for HGVs. I know this is a particular problem along the A20 and A251.
I was dismayed to see the queues at Brenley Corner over the weekend. I’ve again called for traffic management work at this junction to be stood down – the delays it causes local motorists are completely unacceptable.
It’s clear that turning the M20 into a giant lorry park every time there's disruption at the Channel Ports simply isn't sustainable. I'm continuing to stress the need for a long-term long solution to end the traffic problems on our roads once and for all.
