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Traffic chaos in Kent

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  • edited September 2020
    seth plum said:
    Back doubles is the more earthy local London term I reckon.
    Rat Runs or rat running has always struck me as rather a middle class NIMBY expression.
    I was born in a council house in Plumstead, Went to a secondary modern school. Support Charlton. Hardly middle class old boy!
  • seth plum said:
    A poster on this thread today, above, says they bitterly regret it.

    I think the poster actually stated regretting voting Conservative rather than for Brexit
  • Rat running is a term must people understand, as the HGVs will be restricted by law (SI) from using certain roads they will be breaking the law if they  use them. The restrictions have been brought in  so that local residents do not suffer any disruption,.
    Local residents are already suffering disruption with the M20 being closed almost every night for 3 months. 

    When do you want them to shut it? Between 6am and 10am every week day morning?

    Seems eminently sensible to me. Three months of reduced disruption to get to a preferred outcome before 31st December.

    When there are problems at the Dover/Calais crossing, the M20 always suffers traffic chaos - it was ever thus. At least something is being done to minimise that chaos from the New Year.

    The current problem is down to a security threat. I'm pleased that it was taken seriously and action was taken. Everything is back to normal now - apart from a few delays.

    Brexit doesn't seem to have affected the vast number of European lorries trundling up and down the M20, distributing their goods for the UK consumers in the slightest.
  • Addickted said:
    Rat running is a term must people understand, as the HGVs will be restricted by law (SI) from using certain roads they will be breaking the law if they  use them. The restrictions have been brought in  so that local residents do not suffer any disruption,.
    Local residents are already suffering disruption with the M20 being closed almost every night for 3 months. 

    When do you want them to shut it? Between 6am and 10am every week day morning?

    Seems eminently sensible to me. Three months of reduced disruption to get to a preferred outcome before 31st December.

    When there are problems at the Dover/Calais crossing, the M20 always suffers traffic chaos - it was ever thus. At least something is being done to minimise that chaos from the New Year.

    The current problem is down to a security threat. I'm pleased that it was taken seriously and action was taken. Everything is back to normal now - apart from a few delays.

    Brexit doesn't seem to have affected the vast number of European lorries trundling up and down the M20, distributing their goods for the UK consumers in the slightest.
    I don't want to see it closed at all. 

    This is a supposed civilised country and we have to use our road network to store HGVs, which is crazy. They say this is to keep the county moving, but it doesn't do that. Yesterday there was massive disruption throughout the county because the M20 was being used as a lorry park.

    I believe that having lorry parks away from the road network is the only solution to keep the traffic flowing. Folkestone race course is a possible site, but they want to build hundreds of houses there, so won't do that. There was a site at Stanford, near to Eurotunnel which, whilst it would have affected a few local people, would have stopped much of the county becoming gridlocked.

    The M20 has become a hellish road. In the last three years there have been a handful of weeks when it hasn't had major roadworks somewhere along its length.  The 'Smart' section near Maidstone was supposed to have been finished in March 2020, but because it was deemed that it wasn't safe, there are now works to make it 'safer' and they will last until March 2021.

    The works near Ashford have been going on for about 2 years and the Operation Brock section between junctions 8 & 9 have had reduced lanes and reduced speed limits on and off for over 2 years now. 


  • Addickted said:
    Rat running is a term must people understand, as the HGVs will be restricted by law (SI) from using certain roads they will be breaking the law if they  use them. The restrictions have been brought in  so that local residents do not suffer any disruption,.
    Local residents are already suffering disruption with the M20 being closed almost every night for 3 months. 

    When do you want them to shut it? Between 6am and 10am every week day morning?

    Seems eminently sensible to me. Three months of reduced disruption to get to a preferred outcome before 31st December.

    When there are problems at the Dover/Calais crossing, the M20 always suffers traffic chaos - it was ever thus. At least something is being done to minimise that chaos from the New Year.

    The current problem is down to a security threat. I'm pleased that it was taken seriously and action was taken. Everything is back to normal now - apart from a few delays.

    Brexit doesn't seem to have affected the vast number of European lorries trundling up and down the M20, distributing their goods for the UK consumers in the slightest.
    I don't want to see it closed at all. 

    This is a supposed civilised country and we have to use our road network to store HGVs, which is crazy. They say this is to keep the county moving, but it doesn't do that. Yesterday there was massive disruption throughout the county because the M20 was being used as a lorry park.

    I believe that having lorry parks away from the road network is the only solution to keep the traffic flowing. Folkestone race course is a possible site, but they want to build hundreds of houses there, so won't do that. There was a site at Stanford, near to Eurotunnel which, whilst it would have affected a few local people, would have stopped much of the county becoming gridlocked.

    The M20 has become a hellish road. In the last three years there have been a handful of weeks when it hasn't had major roadworks somewhere along its length.  The 'Smart' section near Maidstone was supposed to have been finished in March 2020, but because it was deemed that it wasn't safe, there are now works to make it 'safer' and they will last until March 2021.

    The works near Ashford have been going on for about 2 years and the Operation Brock section between junctions 8 & 9 have had reduced lanes and reduced speed limits on and off for over 2 years now. 


    It's a much bigger issue for those who live in the area. There's been another farce with the never ending attempt to turn the M23 into a 'smart' motorway and similar chaos on the M1.

    Regardless of whose fault it is the management of our road network seems pretty poor.
  • Rat running is a term must people understand, as the HGVs will be restricted by law (SI) from using certain roads they will be breaking the law if they  use them. The restrictions have been brought in  so that local residents do not suffer any disruption,.

    Which law is this UTB? I am genuinely interested as we have a problemsimilar in the village where I live, but there are only signs which state 'Unsuitable for HGV's' which are not enforceable.

  • I am currently at a standstill on M2 coastbound between Junctions 5 and 6. The joys of travelling on Kent's roads🤨
  • I am currently at a standstill on M2 coastbound between Junctions 5 and 6. The joys of travelling on Kent's roads🤨
    At least you can post on CL.
  • Rat running is a term must people understand, as the HGVs will be restricted by law (SI) from using certain roads they will be breaking the law if they  use them. The restrictions have been brought in  so that local residents do not suffer any disruption,.

    Which law is this UTB? I am genuinely interested as we have a problemsimilar in the village where I live, but there are only signs which state 'Unsuitable for HGV's' which are not enforceable.

    i will try and direct you to the exact regulation, i believe it is at Statutory Instrument  and will come into force in the event of a no deal Brexit, Unsuitable for HGV is advice and may need to be tackled at country level by enacting a by-law.
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  • Go to .Gov.uk, in search type Operation Brock, talks about SIs being in place until Oct 2021
  • Addickted said:
    Rat running is a term must people understand, as the HGVs will be restricted by law (SI) from using certain roads they will be breaking the law if they  use them. The restrictions have been brought in  so that local residents do not suffer any disruption,.
    Local residents are already suffering disruption with the M20 being closed almost every night for 3 months. 

    When do you want them to shut it? Between 6am and 10am every week day morning?

    Seems eminently sensible to me. Three months of reduced disruption to get to a preferred outcome before 31st December.

    When there are problems at the Dover/Calais crossing, the M20 always suffers traffic chaos - it was ever thus. At least something is being done to minimise that chaos from the New Year.

    The current problem is down to a security threat. I'm pleased that it was taken seriously and action was taken. Everything is back to normal now - apart from a few delays.

    Brexit doesn't seem to have affected the vast number of European lorries trundling up and down the M20, distributing their goods for the UK consumers in the slightest.
    I don't want to see it closed at all. 

    This is a supposed civilised country and we have to use our road network to store HGVs, which is crazy. They say this is to keep the county moving, but it doesn't do that. Yesterday there was massive disruption throughout the county because the M20 was being used as a lorry park.

    I believe that having lorry parks away from the road network is the only solution to keep the traffic flowing. Folkestone race course is a possible site, but they want to build hundreds of houses there, so won't do that. There was a site at Stanford, near to Eurotunnel which, whilst it would have affected a few local people, would have stopped much of the county becoming gridlocked.

    The M20 has become a hellish road. In the last three years there have been a handful of weeks when it hasn't had major roadworks somewhere along its length.  The 'Smart' section near Maidstone was supposed to have been finished in March 2020, but because it was deemed that it wasn't safe, there are now works to make it 'safer' and they will last until March 2021.

    The works near Ashford have been going on for about 2 years and the Operation Brock section between junctions 8 & 9 have had reduced lanes and reduced speed limits on and off for over 2 years now. 


    Agree with ME14,  we were caught up in this yesterday, and got diverted off at Leeds castle, which added a good 90 minutes to our journey home. Not the end of the world, but it was the middle of the afternoon at least when we set off. The M20 has been a pain in the arse since we moved down here 4 years ago, most weeks there are road closures, and lane closures, and I am unconvinced that the so called lorry parks will  entirely solve the lorry issue. The council seem hell bent on using Folkestone Race course for massive housing development, and the quaint local roads are essentially single  track going through villages.
     Not sure the alternative the A2 is going to be an alternative, as that was being ripped up by Bluewater, which looks like a  project likely to take the best part of this year to complete, and probably longer. 
    I was informed that the reason for the delay was a 'security operation'.....which has now been stood down. Looked pretty organised to be fair, besides the complicated matrix boards, some not even on, we assumed there had been some incident at Dover, but it was pretty unclear, in any case we were directed to  go off the M20, then loop back via Ashford onto the M20, and get off at junction 11, the police were baring anyone from getting on, and luckily we continued our journey home. 
    Really not looking forward to the New Year in regard to the M20 regardless of  the Ashford lorry park, and one planned for Dover, seems too little too late, still putting the house on the market next year, and hoping to move back, not that the traffic is much better, but at least be nearer our family and friends. 

  • Operation Stack is back as strike in France preventing ferry sailings.
  • French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
  • Addickted said:
    French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
    A ha.....so nothing to do with Brexit but I'm sure it will be portrayed as such somewhere in the media.

    The French do love their strikes. 
  • Addickted said:
    French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
    Is this a fact, 26 small boats left France and arrived on our shores in one day?
  • https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dover/news/stack-returns-as-strike-hits-port-234353/

    In the above article in Kentonline Natalie Elphick, Dover's MP said:

    I am pleased to see that lessons were learned from last week and that Operation Stack was stepped up today quickly in response to French industrial action.  "These traffic management systems are vital to Keep Dover Clear so that local residents can get out and about to work, to go to school, shops and access healthcare.

    It's a shame she doesn't think about the effect that Operation Brock has on the rest of Kent. I won't do another screen shot of AA Traffic News, but at 6.00pm today it shows that the whole of mid Kent and in particular Maidstone, Ashford and the Medway Towns are a mess. This scheme which keeps Dover clear, messes up a whole swaythe of Kent.
  • Addickted said:
    French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
    Is this a fact, 26 small boats left France and arrived on our shores in one day?
    If so, that is a ridiculous amount and policies need to change immediately 
  • Addickted said:
    French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
    Is this a fact, 26 small boats left France and arrived on our shores in one day?
    If so, that is a ridiculous amount and policies need to change immediately 
    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/24/migrants-who-crossed-channel-could-be-sent-to-detention-centre

    Mentioned in the article 
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  • cafcbrown said:
    Addickted said:
    French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
    Is this a fact, 26 small boats left France and arrived on our shores in one day?
    If so, that is a ridiculous amount and policies need to change immediately 
    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/24/migrants-who-crossed-channel-could-be-sent-to-detention-centre

    Mentioned in the article 
    Terrible. The government thwarted when they try to deport them
  • Addickted said:
    French port workers stop all crossings from Calais.

    Perhaps they should replace the French Police in stopping the people smugglers. 393 in 26 small boats managed to make the crossing on Tuesday.
    Is this a fact, 26 small boats left France and arrived on our shores in one day?
    Yes.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-54266961
  • Addicks living down in the Kent region towards Dover might want to have a look at this.



  • The information mentions post brexit disruption.
    Surely there won't be any change on the free flow of goods and people through Kent?
    Was disruption mentioned before the vote in 2016?
  • My Op Brock induction training is scheduled for the 8th of December
  • Oh here we go!
  • Everything transiting Kent outbound will need a KAP (Kent Access Permit) , and a raft of paper work called "border ready" 
    My first round of duty is the night of the 4th of January.
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