The boss of the 海角视频 arm of shipping giant DFDS Seaways has told how he feels far more confident about port operations come Brexit D-Day, after orchestrating a meeting of key agencies.
Andrew Byrne brought together HMRC, Border Delivery Group, Border Force, the Chamber of Shipping in Immingham – Britain’s biggest port by tonnage – conscious the clock was ticking towards October 31.
The key economic driver provides regular sailings to Europe from the Humber complex and other ports including Felixtowe, Dover, Newhaven and Newcastle, and was one of the companies contracted by the 海角视频 Government to provide extra ferry provision for the original deadline day.
It saw record traffic in the period leading up to March 31 as companies stockpiled and looked to beat the deadline, and was forced to invoke special restrictions to manage congestion at Immingham – something it is desperate to avoid next time round.
After Tuesday's session at the Nordic House 海角视频 HQ featuring 25 key stakeholders, Mr Byrne said: “It was about getting everyone around the table and getting some alignment. Not only do we want to be port-ready for when the time comes – be it deal or no deal – we want to make sure everyone else is. If we can help shape policy, and if what we have proposed becomes best practice and taken forward, then that is a really powerful contribution – to drive rather than be driven.”
The diverse range of cargo and the pace at which roll-on, roll-off traffic arrives – one unit every 60 seconds – means delays could potentially bring the port to a standstill should there be an issue at the DFDS gatehouse – the entrance to a port within a port due to the size and complexity.
Should it escalate, traffic around the two Humber oil refineries could be impacted on too, with less than 1,500m separating the western port entrance and Eastfield Road - roughly equating to 71 lorries, with a 2km stretch between the public road network and DFDS’ terminal.
Mr Byrne used the opportunity to seek assurances on how his team treats different cargo types to ensure operational efficiency, giving the group a tour of the terminal and a taste of the impact anything but smooth passage could cause.
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“If the time at the gate adds another 60 seconds at peak periods – early in the morning and late in the evenings – within 30 minutes we would be dangerously close to cutting off access to the ports,” Mr Byrne said.“I think the tour brought to life the issue of frictionless trade. They could see it at first hand, and it went down very well. We are learning lessons from March when it got very busy.”
In preparation DFDS has already expanded its footprint by 10 per cent, with an investment in more efficient craneage also aiding terminal turnarounds.
On why he felt the need to bring people together, he said: “We were concerned about the lack of activity with planning and where we are, so took the decision to not only host but facilitate a meeting with all agencies we could get to come.
“It was to make sure we are aligned on what we can do and what is expected of us. We had proposals we wanted to run by them, as we have a set of rules, they have a set of rules, and what we want to do may fall in the middle. We’re not Dover, with people and caravans, but we are critical to the economy and if we hit problems we would soon be at gridlock.
“It went down really well, far better than I hoped it would. It makes me feel more confident. We have been working really hard to prepare for everything and be ready to do anything.
“After the conversations and getting lots of nods and validations, and promises of validations, I feel a lot more confident. There are sill going to be the odd bumps in the road, but I definitely have more belief now we can manage to drive this. We are 12 weeks out and helping drive the agenda, not just being driven, which puts us in a good position.”
Next month DFDS will share findings with customers and port operator ABP at a dedicated Brexit stakeholder engagement event.
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