The plans of freight transport firms and businesses across Europe could be thrown into chaos by weekend lorry bans that exist in a number of countries across the continent.
According to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the flight restrictions imposed by the volcanic ash cloud have forced many companies to move goods by road rather than air.
However, these contingency plans could be scuppered by bans on weekend lorry movements, which are currently in place across many parts of Europe.
FTA spokesperson Jo Tanner called on these countries to lift the bans in order to help keep goods moving and avoid causing further chaos for businesses.
Although fresh and perishable foods are usually exempt from the bans, frozen produce and other goods are not, meaning producers and retailers could face major logistical problems.
"We need co-operation across Europe to make sure that the impact of this unprecedented situation is minimised as much as possible," Ms Tanner said.
Earlier this week, the FTA warned that shoppers could begin to see depleted shelves in supermarkets as early as next week as a result of the current disruption to flights in and out of the UK.
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