British motorists are set to experience the country’s busiest summer driving date in years, with 10,000 cars expected to queue to get to France. A total of about 3.4 million drivers are expected to hit the roads today and will also have to deal with delays of more than half an hour at the Port of Dover.
Delays at Dover Due to French Processing System
Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, described the delays in the processing system as “very disappointing.” He said: “We delivered our Western Docks facility after investing £40 million of our capital. We were under constant pressure to have it be operational, pursuant to the timeline that was EES, and it’s been specifically designed to handle our peak volumes safely and efficiently, and we can’t use it. But there are still a lot of unknowns and uncertainties around how the EES process will affect travel. It’s very disappointing.”
The delays stem from the new entry-exit system (EES) which requires more time to process each tourist. While ports and airports across the EU have warned of increasing waiting times, Bannister noted that French authorities have not used the EES system at Dover.
Government Urges Pragmatic Approach
Secretary of state for transport Heidi Alexander recently met with French counterpart Philippe Tabarot and urged European authorities to be more flexible and pragmatic. She said: “I am working with EU and French colleagues to ensure there is a pragmatic and flexible approach to EES this summer. We are doing everything in our power to keep holidaymakers and hauliers moving. We are also investing over £20 million to help improve vehicle flow and increase passport booth capacity at Dover to help reduce delays.”
Brits heading abroad for holidays are being urged to take to the roads only when travelling to the port, and to arrive no earlier than two hours before their sailing time.
Busiest Weekend Since 2022
Today is predicted to be the busiest roads getaway day since 2022, following more than three million vehicles hitting the roads on Friday. The RAC believes about 14 million motorists in total will embark on trips from Friday to Sunday, including another 3.4 million expected on Sunday.
