Lorries are being parked up on the M20 motorway in Kent again as operation stack is implemented due to a new French fishermen’s strike which has lead to the blockading of the ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne. There are also reported blockades at French fuel depots including Brest but I’m not clear as to whether this a land-based blockade affecting French road fuels.
Other fuel protest at the southern port of Marseilles has seen some rioting of dockworkers.
The French fishermen’s grievance is with the European commission who recently ended their fuel subsidy causing an effective overnight doubling of fuel costs for fishermen.
With Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne blockaded, pretty much all routes from Dover are stopped although the SpeedFerries budget fastcat service to Boulogne is optimistically suggesting they might sail from Dover at 18:00 this evening.
The Highways Agency website currently shows the M20 closed between J8 and J9 southbound due to an ‘incident’. Operation stack normal traffic routing would normally be via the A20 but motorists should check with the Highways Agency before traveling.
Tags: boulogne, brest, calais, dover, dunkirk, european comission, french fishermen, fuel protest, m20, operation stack, uk
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