The form is set to be scrapped in April, reports state
(Picture: PA)Grant Shapps is pushing for passenger locator forms to be scrapped in time for the Easter holidays, it has been reported.
It is thought the Transport Secretary is planning to axe the forms in order to give the travel sector a much-needed boost over the Easter break.
Industry insiders have called on the forms to be scrapped in order to streamline travel but the Department for Health has pushed back, believing some curbs must remain.
On Monday afternoon Boris Johnson was expected to announce measures for living with Covid in the UK, including dropping the requirement to self-isolate and the end of free Covid tests.
Tim Aldersale, chief executive of Airline UK said measures such as the locator have formed a “deterrent to travel”.
“Ministers are absolutely right to remove the remaining restrictions but this needs to cut across all elements of the economy, including travel.
“If there is no requirement to self-isolate for those with Covid in the UK, jabbed or otherwise, there can be no justification for continuing with travel restrictions for the unvaccinated, including the continued use of the PLF which, although not as bad as testing, remains a deterrent to travel.”
A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents said: “ABTA believes that all Covid restrictions introduced on international travel, including the passenger locator form, should be kept under review and removed as soon as this can be delivered in line with the Government’s public health objectives.
“If the Government isn’t willing to remove the PLF at this time, a clear rationale must be provided as to why it is being retained and the policy objective it is serving, and there should be further changes to make the system easier to use for all travellers.
“Recent simplifications to the PLF are a step in the right direction, but the UK’s system for collecting passenger data remains much more complex than that used by many other countries, especially competitor markets in Europe.”
Under current guidelines, UK arrivals have to fill out a passenger locator form, which must be completed 48 hours before arriving in the country.
Earlier this month, the provision for fully vaccinated travellers to book a day two test was scrapped.
Unvaccinated travellers must, however, take a Covid test in the two days before their departure and book a PCR test to be taken two days after they arrive in the UK.
