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Covid-19: UK and France aim to restart freight as queues grow - BBC News. As I said on @SkyNews this morning we need urgent agreement with France on exemptions for cross border workers. This would include freight drivers. We did this in wave one / https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55405299
2. This could be backed up now by a comprehensive testing regime on both sides with common standards agreed. And - in time - vaccinations. Any health data captured on exempted persons should be uploaded onto government systems to create a “trusted traveller” cohort. /
Health credentials should be added to passport and driver licence data to create a data packet to be shared with carriers and governments on both sides. Where required additional requirements could be added such as purpose and duration of stay. /
4. Biometrics (digital images) should be included in the data packet and uploaded to a library of images. Then drivers could be recognised by facial recognition technology at the border alongside ANPR for vehicles as in the GVMS and Smart Borders Systems. /
5. Using the “traffic light” system already established for Brexit on both sides driver data could be pre-lodged with customs data to enable seamless travel for pre-registered drivers and their vehicles at both ends of the journey. This is similar to the US / Can Nexus programme/
6. And is entirely in keeping with the U.K. Border 2025 Strategy published last week. This technology is already in place at other borders around the world and it is ideally suited for the Ro Ro routes on cross channel trains and ferries post #Brexit /
7. It can be done - but only with political will and momentum on both sides. In the longer term the programme could be extended to all cross channel traffic; and meet the requirements of U.K. ETA and EU EES and ETIAS. Ends.
