Despite a fall in freight volumes at the end of 2021, reports suggest that truck crossings through Dover are on the increase, and could even beat the figures for 2019 and 2020.
Thanks to the stock-building that took place ahead of Brexit, volumes were boosted throughout 2020. This led to a decrease in volumes last year, which can be attributed to lower volumes on all UK routes.
Most of the UK routes are now above 2019 freight levels, with Dover remaining the predominant import/export route for cargo. This is all the more remarkable considering that additional ferries have been sent for refurbishment by a number of operators, reducing overall capacity.
Most of the UK routes are now above 2019 freight levels, with Dover remaining the predominant cargo route
Brexit has brought about the additional requirement for passengers and drivers to present visas in order to travel to the EU. These take time to verify and increase the complexity of customs checks, leading to potential queues building at Dover.
The Dover Tap
However, at present, there are no reports of delays at the port. While the A20 Dover Tap has been used several times throughout January, this is a regularly used tool to manage traffic flow into the port and protect local roads.
The introduction of further customs controls on 1 January increased processing time through the port and led to the activation of Dover TAP. So far, it has been able to support the volume of traffic.