Agreement sees vital freight routes preserved between the UK, Scandinavia, Germany and Spain
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Transport minister Grant Shapps has announced a major effort to sustain vital freight routes across Europe.
Delivering this evening's Downing Street briefing, Mr Shapps said that Britain, together with France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden, had agreed to safeguard the routes.
Through those links all the countries involved would benefit from deliveries of food, medicines and vital supplies.
He also announced the protection of ferry routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland with funding of up to £17 million to secure services across the UK.
Unused transport ministry work force and fleet supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been redeployed to help with logisitics.
More than 8500 specialist volunteers from the transport sector and around 9000 vehicles will now support the national effort to move emergency patients and medical supplies, deliver personal protective equipment (PPE), and distribute food parcels.
Mr Shapps said: “There are tentative signs we are making progress.
"The reason is the way the British public has responded to the guidance to stay at home and maintain social distancing in the last few weeks.
"By respecting these measures the whole country is slowing the spread of the virus.
“By avoiding public transport they are freeing up space for critical workers who rely on buses and trains to travel safely.
"The continued operation of both passenger and freight transport is critically important to our resilience as a country.
"So today I'm announcing a new package of measures to ensure a transport boost to our national response to Covid-19.
"First we are announcing far-reaching action to safeguard the flow of essential goods into and across our country.
“I can announce the government has secured a trilateral agreement along with the French and Irish governments which commits our nations to keeping freight routes open throughout this crisis, bringing in lifesaving medicines, food and many other essential goods which allow us time to meet the needs of our country during this difficult period.
“Operators on many of these routes have been under rising financial pressure due to falling demand since many of them bring in crucial goods like medicines, materials and chemicals to purify water, it is important to guarantee the continuation of the services.
“So we are protecting ferry routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland with funding of up to £17 million.
"We are also taking action to secure services around the United Kingdom.
“Thanks to the measures I am announcing today we are also safeguarding 26 different freight routes between Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden.
“Second, we have launched a transport support unit dedicated to fighting this pandemic.
"At the beginning of this crisis we reduced services like rail and busses while securing their continuation to enable critical workers to make their way on essential journeys.
“Lower riderhips mean we have spare capacity which I have directed to be used for logistical tasks to fight this virus.
“We now have over 8500 specialist volunteers from across the transport sector and around 9000 vehicles which can support the national effort.
"This includes four fixed-wing aircraft owned by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency – one of them a 737 – helicopters, ships and trains.
“Together they will help move emergency patients and medical supplies, deliver PPE to hospitals, and distribute food parcels to vulnerable people.”
