Connect with us

EU

France 'must act now to protect drivers and vehicles'

SHARE:

Published

11 years ago

on

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

iru_logoFrench authorities must act now on illegal immigration and take urgent action to protect commercial drivers and vehicles at Channel ports before any more serious injuries or fatalities occur, says the International Road Transport Union (IRU).

Immediate action by the French authorities, including the police and armed forces, is essential to protect drivers and vehicles trying to operate through French Channel ports. With one migrant death already the IRU is calling for urgent action from the French authorities and the EU to alleviate the terrible situation for the 3000 migrants in the Calais area. The road transport industry, that faces this terrible problem alone every day, cannot wait any longer before action is taken to prevent more deaths or serious injuries.

General Delegate to the EU Michael Nielsen said: “France is failing in its obligation to ensure that its public highways and ports are safe to use. Truck drivers are facing an increasingly desperate and dangerous situation, particularly in Calais, as a result of French failures to address the obvious problems at Channel ports. France must get its act together now for the sake of the migrants and to protect truck drivers.”

All practical measures to protect the hundreds of European truck drivers and vehicles that use the Channel ports daily must be considered. Such measures could include deployment of French armed forces to support police operations, escorted convoys of trucks through port areas and their immediate hinterland, extension of secure truck parking areas and serious action to remove illegal immigrants from port areas.

Nielsen concluded: “The French state has failed Calais for years and has not been pushed for action or helped by the EU to find a solution. Now transport operators and their staff are dealing with the consequences of this inaction. Transport operators are increasingly unwilling to send their staff into such dangerous zones. French inaction is undermining the single market and disrupting EU trade.”

Share this article:

Share this:
Related Topics:
EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter. Please see EU Reporter’s full Terms and Conditions of publication for more information EU Reporter embraces artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance journalistic quality, efficiency, and accessibility, while maintaining strict human editorial oversight, ethical standards, and transparency in all AI-assisted content. Please see EU Reporter’s full A.I. Policy for more information.
Advertisement

Trending