Coach operators have increased their inquiries to Eurotunnel to avoid a repeat of the weekend ferry delays at Dover.
Currently, ferry companies are negotiating with port authorities after a critical incident was declared when passengers were forced to wait for more than 12 hours.
However, Eurotunnel stated that it was unlikely to have availability due to advanced reservations.
The government stated that new Brexit procedures contributed to the lines.
The additional ferries added over the weekend were insufficient to prevent the lines, which left some pupils overnight in coaches.
Easter was a “really busy time,” according to the trans-Channel rail operator, but its contacts have reported an increase in inquiries “over the last few days” as a result of the incident in Dover.
John Keefe, a spokesperson for Eurotunnel, stated that the service, which encountered no delays over the weekend, was already operating at maximum capacity.
“We have a limited number of trains, and the utmost number we can operate per hour is four. In addition, there are Eurostar and goods trains. “The environment is extremely intense,” he said.
The increase in inquiries coincides with discussions between ferry companies and the Port of Dover regarding how to regulate the number of coaches ahead of a second surge of vacationers preparing to travel to France.
P&O Ferries, one of the three companies that sail from Dover alongside DFDS and Irish Ferries, stated that the talks were “ongoing and dynamic.”
A P&O spokesman stated, “We are working as closely as possible to minimize disruption and are considering a variety of options.”
There was no response to rumors that the number of coaches passing through the port during traditionally busy periods, such as school vacations, would be limited.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport, a trade organization that represents coach companies, stated that it had contacted the Port of Dover about participating in the negotiations but had received no response.
A spokesperson stated, “We did report this issue in February, and Maundy Thursday [April 6] is traditionally a busy day for coach travel.”
The Department of Transport stated that it remained in “close contact” with all parties regarding the delays, but refused to comment on whether or not it was participating in the negotiations.
The Port of Dover announced that it would state in the “coming days.”
