The pandemic has highlighted our need and reliance on the transport of goods around the country. A large proportion of that transport is on HGVs, and a lot of those HGVs travel through Kent. Those HGVs have to stop, and it is where they stop and overnight that the problems arise. Litter, litter and more litter; bottles of urine, food and drink packaging, degrading the landscape. I know others litter, but some areas (where HGVs park overnight in particular) are worse than others. Parking in inappropriate lay-bys, or illegally on the hard shoulder exits to Motorway services, also being a problem.
The drivers have to rest by law; we want the products they’re transporting; they don’t want to pay to park. So my suggestion would be to add a small tax to any Eurotunnel or Cross Channel Ferry good vehicle ticket; let’s say £20. It would have to be paid by the Hauliers, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to travel to the UK. The increased cost would almost certainly be put onto the price of the goods being transported, and therefore shared between the purchasers of those goods (us). That fee could then be used to fund the building of adequate resting/overnight parking facilities, and these would be free to use. Adequate toilet facilities could be provided; and to prevent the littering of the Garden of England, bins, bins and more bins, regularly emptied, could also be a ubiquitous sight at these rest stops.
I cannot believe I’m even suggesting these ideas, as several problems are fixed by their implementation, and should all have happened years ago. So that’s HGV parking, it’s funding, and a reduction in roadside littering, fixed.
…….and whilst I’m suggesting things, scrap road tax and put it on fuel. The more fuel you use, the more you pay. That would scrap a huge amount of bureaucracy, and make more common sense.
593-11