Wolverhampton, UK (PRWEB UK) 22 August 2015 -- Award winning overseas removals to France firm, Burke Bros Moving Group, http://www.burkebros.co.uk based in Wolverhampton UK, have been caught up in the Calais Migrant Crisis. They have been facing 24 hours delays at the channel ports of Calais and Dover, along with many other removals companies in the road transport industry.
Having carried out removals to France for over 33 years, shipping and moving to France with peoples’ personal possessions is something Burke Bros do on a regular basis, so they have a weekly experience of using all the keys routes to and from France. The situation is putting an untold strain on the removals industry with spiralling costs, more expense to the customers, and pressure from the EU driving regulations.
Burke Bros’ Managing Director, Gary Burke, said: “This French ferry workers dispute is affecting our customers, our lorry drivers and our logistics team, not to mention the threat of the fines we can face if we inadvertently carry illegal immigrants in the back of our removals trucks. Our customers are growing more and more concerned every day about the security of their personal effects, especially as this is our busiest time of the year for moving people and their possessions to and from France, and these long delays in Calais and Dover are completely throwing out all our schedules, especially with our drivers and removals vans being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The migrant problem is also starting to spread to other ports in France and Belgium”
Company Director, Chris Burke, said: “We’ve been very concerned for the safety of many of our drivers, as they’ve encountered some very aggressive behaviour from the migrants, who have been throwing large objects and house bricks at our truck windows. The one thing that’s been particularly dangerous, for our drivers, is when migrants suddenly step-out in front of the trucks without warning, to stop them, so their fellow migrants can try and enter the back of the removal vans, in some cases with heavy duty cutting equipment to cut through our removal truck doors, which are secured, sealed and padlocked.”
Gary, added: “We've had one experience where migrants got into the back of the one truck, when staying overnight at the port in Calais, however, on this occasion, ironically, we were actually continuing on in to the South of France, not England. When they realised they were travelling south they opened the back doors and tried to flag other passing motorists to stop the truck. The authorities were called and the migrants were handed over to them at a French service station. This led to damage to the customer’s home contents which resulted in a £1,500 insurance claim that we had to process.”
Chris, commented: “We’ve had to increase our security measures for the drivers and the removal trucks, to more securely protect our customers belongings, along with planning out alternative routes to get in and out of France and Europe which, although much further on paper, are currently much quicker routes compared to the waiting times in Calais.”
Burke Bros follows the Government guidance and code of practice on securing vehicles against illegal immigrants. These procedures are to be followed by drivers and companies operating a system to prevent clandestine entrants using their vehicles. The system includes written instructions for drivers on how to help stop illegal immigrants. The use of robust security devices such as padlocks, seals and tilt cords are used to secure vehicles after loading. The drivers must receive training on how to use these security devices and check them thoroughly at each stop and before entering the UK. By following a checklist and recording all checks drivers are able to ensure they are following all instructions as well as Burke Bros being able to analyse and monitor driver’s logs to make sure everything is being handled correctly and safely.
A code of practice for vehicle safety checks and security checklists, plus additional information on what to do if drivers discover illegal immigrants on their lorry is also available at:
http://www.gov.uk/secure-your-vehicle-to-help-stop-illegal-immigration
If you would like to find out more about Burke Bros Moving Group and how they could help you with your overseas removal services to France, especially during these more difficult times, please visit the Burke Bros website at http://www.BurkeBros.co.uk or if you have any immediate questions or concerns, please contact the sales department on +44 (0)1902 714555
Carl Jarvis, Burke Bros Moving Group, http://www.burkebros.co.uk, +44 7968960542, [email protected]
SOURCE Burke Bros Moving Group
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