Government fails to produce Brexit Handbook

UK Haulage groups have criticized the government for failing to produce a clear and concise ‘handbook’ to help HGV operators prepare for Brexit.

Brexit is almost upon us and once it is here the new EU-UK trade rules will come into action.

Early drafts of what haulage associations called an ‘unusable’ handbook where rejected and are now hastily being rewritten in the hopes they are approved in time for Brexit.

Elizabeth de Jong, of Logistics UK (formerly the FTA), which represents the freight industry, said the original version of the handbook was “not fit for purpose” since it did not answer arguably the most important question for freight operators post Brexit, “what documentation and checks do I need for my journey?”.

A new version of the document is due by the end of November however this is not due for delivery until early to mid-December leaving mere days before the transitional period ends, this time doesn’t account for the time it will take to translate these documents into multiple languages.

Ms. De Jong continued: “It is later than we’d want it to be and official working on it know that it is later than they also would have wanted it to be”

Richard Burnett, CEO of the RHA, was left “speechless” by the failings of the Government to produce a handbook to give clear and concise answers to hauliers that would have questions should a no-deal Brexit take place.

 “It’s like there is a fog in every government department. There are so many questions being asked, that nobody can keep on top of all these things that are being raised.” He concluded.

The Department for Transport advised that the handbook is only a small part of a package of measures to help guide hauliers and would also come alongside a new informational and informative websites. “We are progressing work on the handbook at pace,” they concluded.

It is fair to say that these delays and the final rush of producing such a handbook has been made evermore difficult by COVID-19, however, haulage never stops and clear information needs to be made available for international haulage operators as soon as possible.
 

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