National isolation: UK strives to end French ban on trucks

LONDON (AP) — Stranded Europe-bound truckers hoped Tuesday to receive the green light to get out of Britain soon after some of the most dramatic travel restrictions of the pandemic were imposed on the country following the discovery of a potentially more contagious strain of the coronavirus.

More than 1,500 trucks snaked along a major highway in southeast England near the country’s vital Channel ports or crowded into a disused airport, illustrating the scale of Britain’s isolation after countries from Canada to India banned flights from the UK and France barred the entry of its trucks for 48 hours beginning Sunday night.

For a country of islands that relies heavily on its commercial links with France, that’s potentially very serious — and raised concerns of food shortages if the restrictions weren’t lifted by Wednesday.

Hopes increased over Tuesday that the stranded drivers may soon be able to get on the road again as the European Union’s executive arm pushed for a coordinated response to the travel restrictions on the UK.

The European Commission said people returning to their home countries or main places of residence should be able to do so provided they test negative for the virus or quarantine.

Though Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said EU countries should work together to “discourage nonessential travel” between the bloc and Britain, he said, “blanket travel bans should not prevent thousands of EU and UK citizens from returning to their homes.”

The commission added that “cargo flows need to continue uninterrupted.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel told BBC radio that the British government is “speaking constantly” with France to get freight moving again.

France has said it wants to lift the ban as soon as possible and is looking at ways of testing drivers on their arrival.

While the French ban does not prevent trucks from entering Britain, many vehicles that carry cargo from the country to the continent return laden with goods.

The fear is that will fall off — reducing deliveries to Britain at a time of year when the UK produces very little of its food and relies heavily on produce brought from Europe by truck.

Also, some drivers or their employers might decide against entering Britain for fear they won’t be able to get back home.

The restrictions were creating a feeling of isolation in Britain akin to what the residents of Hubei province in China at the start of the year or those in northern Italy must have experienced a few months later.

Given that around 10,000 trucks pass through the Dover every day, accounting for about 20% of the country’s trade in goods, retailers are getting increasingly concerned if there is no resolution soon.

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