A disaster reduction charity providing emergency assist after earthquakes, hurricanes and floods is being drafted in to ease the struggling of lorry drivers caught in post-Brexit queues.
RE:ACT Catastrophe Response additionally works in war-torn Afghanistan and Ukraine – however has now signed a cope with Kent County Council because it struggles with gridlock on the Port of Dover.
Drivers spend many hours of their cabs due to the mountain of purple tape created by Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, which introduced frictionless commerce with the EU to the tip.
The truckers have been left with out entry to bathrooms, meals or drink on the M20 and M2 – beforehand sparking protests about some relieving themselves by the roadside
Council chiefs concern the issues are about to worsen, as vacationers unable to journey due to the Covid pandemic are free to move off on summer season holidays once more.
As much as 50 days of gridlock are actually anticipated yearly – prompting the signing of the £158,000 six-month contract with RE:ACT, which was arrange by a former Military commander.
A press release saying the deal reads: “Kent County Council has lengthy accepted that it has an obligation to offer humanitarian help to these in want.”
It provides: “A direct award was used because of causes of utmost urgency,” explaining why regular contract guidelines have been bypassed.
RE:ACT has come to assistance from flood victims in South Africa, folks affected by hurricanes in Mozambique and the Bahamas and refugees from Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the charity stated it could present assist to drivers “within the uncommon occasions site visitors is held so lengthy the occupants want further meals and water”.
However the Street Haulage Affiliation has raised fears it will likely be “harmful’ to method truckers whereas site visitors strikes very slowly, because it does more often than not.
A Kent County Council spokesperson stated: “As a accountable native authority, we’ve lengthy had plans in place for delivering help to drivers caught in important disruption, the place it’s secure and sensible to take action.
“To do that, we routinely work with organisations skilled at working in emergency conditions and on stay motorways.”