Gary39- Registered: 7 Jul 2017
- Posts: 454
#1
Dear Gary Dodd
Dover TAP
Thank you for your email to the Secretary of State for Transport about the recent queues in Dover. I have been asked to reply as the policy officer for Kent Traffic Management.
First of all, I'd like to apologise for the disturbance that the Dover TAP has caused you since its implementation. We never intend to delay our travellers on their journeys, and believe that Dover TAP is the best solution for periods of increased traffic in the area.
The traffic lights are positioned close to Western Heights roundabout to allow the Port of Dover Police (who are located on the roundabout) to see which freight has complied and queued in lane 1 and which lorries have tried to bypass the system and use lane 2. The Western Heights roundabout is then where the Port of Dover Police turn non-compliant freight back.
TAP was put in place in 2016 following the significant port disruption in 2015 in which freight and other vehicles gridlocked Dover to such an extent that all routes in and out of Dover became blocked for many miles. National Highways worked with the Port of Dover and Dover District Council and agreed to install the traffic lights along the A20 to enable the Port of Dover to manage the queue and avoid Dover becoming gridlocked when there's disrupted service at the port.
The key aspect of TAP remains safety for both the Port of Dover Police who operate TAP and the road users. Over the last few years disruption at the ports has increased and National Highways are aware that using the Strategic Road Network more and more frequently to queue disrupted freight is an unsustainable solution.
DfT, National Highways and other Kent Resilience Forum partners continue to work together to look at alternative methods of dealing with the affected traffic when ports are disrupted.
We trust this information answers your questions, however please don't hesitate to contact us, should you require any further information.
Gary39- Registered: 7 Jul 2017
- Posts: 454
#2
The usual reply from DoT
Yes I know what Dover TAP is for.
but again no reference to helping Aycliffe residents and the solution that I keep telling people.
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Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#3
Garry I admire your tenacity.I have had that response more than once.Do they think we are a load of idiots?I think you should get a meeting with your Councillors DDC and KCC There are solutions ..Have a Meeting on the Marina Curve..Good vantage point.Good luck .
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#4
Probably think we idiots think TA P is a local folk dance .
Gary39- Registered: 7 Jul 2017
- Posts: 454
#5
I actually e-mailed Baroness Vere of Norbiton the under secretary for Transport.. but I get a reply from some office junior . Even asked for meeting,…
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#6
Very frustrating Gary, a national issue that is having big affects on Dover .
Keep up the pressure
Sue's right maybe trying to get interested parties around the table in Dover may help
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Gary39- Registered: 7 Jul 2017
- Posts: 454
#7
I have been trying for years but sadly no one cares.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#8
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Arthur- Registered: 18 Nov 2020
- Posts: 455
#9
How does this improve things for Aycliffe residents?
Neil Moors- Registered: 3 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,300
#10
Hi Gary,
If not already done so, I suggest writing to Natalie Elphicke - specifically asking her to forward your letter to the Secretary of State.
The way it works (or at least did when I was a Civil Servant) is that if a member of the public writes to the SofS directly, a policy official will reply. The letter will never be seen by the SofS. These are called TOs - Treat Official case.
However, if you write to your MP, who in turn forwards to the SofS, it is called a PO - Private Office case. This means that the same person will write the response, but it will go out in the Minister's name. While not making any great difference to the reply of course, you at least know that the Minister will have engaged with the issue, albeit for a nanosecond. The trick is that if enough people do the same thing, people will start to notice.
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Gary39- Registered: 7 Jul 2017
- Posts: 454
#11
This is my e-mail to my local councillors and our MP
Please find attached a letter I received from the Department of Transport. I e-mail the Baroness Vere of Norbiton the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport.
In the letter they recognize and apologized the problem the Dover TAP has caused.. But made no
acknowledgment of the solution I gave then of moving the start of Dover TAP to up the hill to were the laybys are.
This the standard reply I get from Department of Transport. Apparently if you read this e-mail it treats me as a traveller
It them goes on to explain what Dover TAP is for IN most of the reply. It even states it was put in place in 2016. As we all know it April 2015.
I found this letter very condescending and insulting to me personally as if I do not know what Dover TAP is for.
I explained our problems at Aycliffe but not one mention of Aycliffe and the problems we have about Dover TAP in the reply.
It does nothing to solve the problem that Dover TAP has to Aycliife residents. It was also from a someone in the office
n London who has no idea.
I even asked for the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State several times to come and visit Aycliffe to see the problem first.
Would it be possible to put more pressure on Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, our Dover MP and England Highways to have a meeting with me to show them what we have to put up with and how we solve it.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#12
Seeing those pictures of lorries blowing horns at 1am
Awful just outside the estate
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 3925- Registered: 28 Nov 2020
- Posts: 541
#13
I've followed the appalling treatment of Aycliffe for the years I've lived in Dover and more recently on here regarding this ridiculous TAP issue.
All I can say is keep going Gary, your campaign is getting mentioned all around and there is more support than you think. I know you feel like you are getting nowhere but please don't give up, there are people out there starting to listen, even though it feels like that isn't the case.
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Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#14
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