London, UK: Cabinet minister Michael Gove says there will “inevitably be some disruption” on Kent’s roads at the end of the transition period.
“It’s always the case as you move towards a new set of procedures that not everything will be all right on the night,” Gove told Logistics UK’s virtual conference, Get Ready for Brexit – arrangements for ro-ro operations.
Gove said that initially there would be slightly lower levels of traffic, due to the Bank holiday, then traffic would rise and there will be some disruption, “inevitably”. But then the borders “will settle to a new normal”.
“The prospect of disruption in Kent is a widespread concern… It is our belief that we will have a period of adjustment leading to steady, smooth and effective operation of our border systems.”
Gove also said that the Joint Committee might agree key details on how the Northern Ireland Protocol will work this month. He hopes that “in the next week or so we can begin to eliminate some of those known unknowns and provide a degree of certainty, but that’s subject to negotiation”.
