Holidaymakers are warned to expect two-and-a-half hour delays at Dover for star of summer holiday because of increased time caused by post-Brexit passport checks
- Port officials have implemented a series of measures to minimise queues
Holidaymakers have been warned to expect two-and-a-half hour delay if they’re travelling from the Port of Dover this week.
Enhanced post-Brexit passport checks by French border officials Police Aux Frontieres (PAF) have significantly increased processing times.
The Kent-based port issued the alert ahead of many schools in England and Wales breaking up for the summer.
The port’s chief executive Doug Bannister said that modelling had predicted that ‘processing times may be up’ due to the extreme popularity of these days’.
Port officials have taken a series of measures aimed at minimising queues during the summer getaway season.
Lorries and cars queue at the Port of Dover, Kent, ahead of the busy summer travel period
Coaches are checked for their advanced passenger information in a holding area at the port
Lorries and cars pictured queuing to get through control today
Installation of an additional PAF booth is expected to be completed before Friday, and hour-by-hour traffic flow projections have been created.
The port is also continuing to use a new system for processing coach passengers, which is involving Advanced Passenger Information checks being carried away from the main port facility to ease busy periods.
This was first introduced for the May half-term after some coach passengers were stuck at the port for more than 10 hours during Easter.
Passengers arriving by car from Friday are being advised to arrive three hours before their booked journey.
This is up from two hours last year, while before the end of the Brexit transition period the port gave no advice for when people should turn up.
Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said: ‘When passengers arrive at the Port of Dover, they will be processed through border controls – anticipated to take around 90 minutes on peak days.
‘However, our modelling indicates that processing times may be up to two-and-a-half hours during the peak hours of 6am to 1pm during the first couple of Saturdays and Sundays of the summer holidays, due to the extreme popularity of these days.
‘We care about every passenger that chooses to travel via the Port of Dover and have worked hard to ensure the best experience possible as they transit through on their summer holidays.’
Mr Bannister said his staff have done ‘everything we possibly can’ to minimise delays.
Passengers arriving by car from Friday are being advised to arrive three hours before their booked journey
He went on: ‘People would anticipate if they’re travelling at very popular times on very busy days there will be some queuing.
‘We can’t plan for unforeseen circumstances such as technical issues, industrial action or road traffic accidents on the approaches into the port.
‘If these happen that could throw us some more challenges.
‘What Dover has demonstrated time and time again is that we can be very resilient in our operations and clear the disruption very quickly.’
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