Fuel shortages, Brexit, gridlock: why Dover grinds to a halt

News that P&O Ferries were making 800 staff redundant with no notice whatsoever was yet another blow for the struggling town of Dover.

P&O’s much-criticised decision affected many local families at a time when the Kent port has been on the frontline of the UK’s post-Brexit tensions with the EU.

The suspension of P&O sailings in the aftermath of its actions sparked yet another phase of gridlock for Dover’s dismayed population as freight lorries waiting to cross the Channel clogged roads in and around the port.

Motorists also faced miles of queues on the M2 and M20. Under ‘Operation Brock’, lorry drivers were forced to park up on the motorways as there was no movement on the roads, often with no toilet facilities or access to food and drink.

The P&O scandal exacerbated the delays already caused by Brexit red tape which enforces new checks on imports and exports, and worsened Dover’s dysfunctional state.

Gridlock of what seems like the whole of the town now happens on a regular basis, with local people unable to even drive short distances without hitting problems.

Residents have also criticised a perceived lack of investment in Dover by the government agencies responsible for managing Britain’s new trading arrangements with the rest of Europe.

Dover’s frequent gridlock has also led to the area’s petrol stations regularly running out of fuel – and in the process sparking localised panic buying (causing yet more traffic queues). Another knock-on is local supermarkets running low on essential household items as deliveries are disrupted by the chaos.

Residents have taken to to Twitter to express their frustration and anger about living in a community besieged by problems.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Jennifer Hughes, 52. “Nothing is functioning here at the moment, I can never guarantee to get somewhere I need to be.It’s so unreliable.”

The period of perils that Dover is currently facing is having a tremendously negative impact on an area which is also the landing point for the migrants crossing from France in small boats, putting further strain on local services.

Local people live in hope that this abundance of upheavals will eventually subside.

However, with the government still yet to fully implement its own post-Brexit trading regulations over fears they will cause further disruption, Dover looks set to remain a besieged by problems.