Emergency Services

I work in Ashford for one of the emergency services and have to travel down the M20 to get there. My days are already long, but now they are longer with Operation Brock in place. I car share with colleagues and meet near junction 8 of the M20 which as you know, is now blocked. This means that we are adding to the traffic on the A20 and making our journey time even longer.

My experience of Operation Brock whilst driving on a blue light emergency call is also not very good. The outside lane is narrow and there is not much room to pass lorries. One of our vehicles is too wide for the outside lane and therefore can’t be used on the M20 whilst Operation Brook is on. As all vehicles are doing the same speed, drivers often feel they need to speed up to get out the the way, therefore break the speed limit, or they pull in, in front of cars causing them to brake suddenly. When I have been travelling to a job in Maidstone on an emergency call and have used the M20 to get there, I have been stuck in traffic if there has been an accident or a broken down car and have been unable to pass. This has put lives at risk. The other option is to go the much longer A20 just in case there are delays, but this not only delayshelp getting to someone, but also puts lives at risk by the fact we have to drive on the wrong side of the road, and through villages.