The new EU border check could lead to a 17-mile delay in Dover, a British lawmaker said.

A representative of the UK logistics industry told Parliamentary Commission that the new EU border identity could result in a 17-mile tailback at Dover.

The EU plans to implement a new system in April 2022 to monitor non-EU travelers entering the Schengen area of ​​the block. British citizens embarking on a cross-channel trip from Dover are proposed to be checked by French police at the port of Kent.

Elizabeth de Jong, policy director for industry group Logistics UK, said it would be “very bad news” if truck drivers need to leave their cars to get biometrics.

“It’s time consuming and there are security issues,” she said, “two minutes more processing for each truck would result in a 17-mile delay at the Dover border.” I added.

Submitting evidence to the House of Commons’ Transport Selection Committee, De Jung said he hopes there will be “practical negotiations” that will allow truck drivers to stay in taxis.

Parliamentarians were also warned that supply chain issues would reduce the range of groceries available for purchase this Christmas.

Shane Brennan, CEO of Cold Chain Federation, a leading industry association in the temperature-controlled logistics industry, focuses on believing that the sector is “achievable” in terms of what can be delivered to stores. Said that they are matching.

“It’s not a shortage, it’s a simplification,” he told the committee. “Clearly narrow scope is one of the key decisions that can be made when trying to make the supply chain more efficient.”

“We are very good at stacking high and selling cheaply during Christmas time. All we have to do is strategically do it to meet the promise that there is something we expect to see on the shelves. Is to shrink, but not necessarily all the additional features. “

The supply chain faces a lot of pressure, including the difficulty of hiring drivers to leave the industry and new drivers, border issues, and delays in the movement of shipping containers.

Brennan told the Commission that the world’s transportation supplies are in an “unprecedented period of stress.”

He said it would take a few days for fresh food arriving at a British port to be delivered to the store, which usually happens the same day or the next day. For frozen foods, the timescale increased from 1 to 3 days up to 5 to 6 days.

PA contributed to this report.

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