National Highways has a plan to make the night more peaceful for the people of Aycliffe in Dover.
They are going to test a ‘quiet zone’ on the A20, where trucks carrying goods to the Port of Dover have to wait when there is trouble crossing the Channel.
The A20 TAP is a clever way to keep traffic flowing in Kent when things get busy at the port, but sometimes the truck drivers get impatient and honk their horns, especially at night. This can be very annoying for the people who live nearby and want to sleep.
So, National Highways is asking the truck drivers to be nice and quiet when they are in the ‘quiet zone’.
The zone is 1.3km long and starts from the Courtwood interchange and ends at the Western Heights roundabout. The drivers should not honk their horns between 11:30pm and 7am.
Nicky Potts, who works for National Highways, said: “We know that the people of Aycliffe don’t like it when the truck drivers make a lot of noise on the A20. We are trying to find better ways to deal with this problem, but for now, we are going to try the ‘quiet zone’ idea for the summer.”
There will be signs on the A20 to tell the drivers about the ‘quiet zone’. National Highways will also tell the truck companies and ferry operators about it. And they will work with Kent police to make sure the drivers follow the rules. If they don’t, they could get a fine of £60.