How The Great Flood hit the UK’s fleets
29 January
Did flooding in the UK affect your fleet?
It will be remembered as The Great Flood of 2015. Storms and heavy rain caused serious flooding across many parts of the UK at the end of 2015 and well into the start of 2016.
Homes were wrecked, power cut off and people’s lives were endangered. But there was another disruption that the mainstream media ignored: the transport industry was thrown into turmoil during the busy Christmas period.
There were widespread road closures and the authorities repeatedly warned drivers not to travel. Major bridges were closed and even the crucial M62 motorway was closed at one stage when a huge sinkhole appeared.
At the time of writing the total cost of the damage hasn’t been calculated and some areas are still recovering. The ground is still very wet, so further floods may well occur.
The floods of 2014 were less severe but the cost of damage to fleet vehicles in that wet weather alone was £2.5m. This year’s weather chaos is expected to be even more costly. And it’s not only damage to vehicles; the additional cost of damage to business premises, goods in storage and failed deliveries needs to be accounted for.
Commercial transport fleets in the worst hit areas may be entitled to some compensation however. The government has announced a package of financial help so that “flood affected businesses that have had their trading disrupted can get back on their feet, with funding equivalent to £2,500”.