As queues at Dover continue to grow, port operators will be hoping to avoid the chaos of last weekend, with warnings that afternoon delays could make matters worse for those attempting to reach the continent for the Easter weekend.
Ferry companies warn that it could take several hours to get through Dover’s lines, and the port adds that the wait to traverse the English Channel maybe even longer.
P&O Ferries reported that car passenger lines at the entrance to the Port of Dover are 60 minutes long and that the delay for coaches to board ferries is also growing.
In the meantime, Irish Ferries has advised passengers to arrive at Dover up to three hours before their scheduled departure time and warned them not to go to the port unless they have a confirmed reservation.
DFDS said bus passenger inspections at Calais cause two-hour delays.
The port itself stated that processing periods for automobiles could take up to an hour and a half during the Easter holiday when millions of travelers will be on the road.
It said that queues may lengthen in the early afternoon, but it aimed to manage demand over Easter weekend.
The RAC predicts that main roads throughout the United Kingdom will experience delays on Good Friday, with southwest England and the Home Counties experiencing the worst congestion.
The A303 in the westbound direction near Stonehenge, the M5 south between Bristol and Bridgwater, and the M25 in the anticlockwise direction between Hertfordshire and Surrey are all expected to experience more than double the normal volume of traffic.
Occasionally, vehicle velocities may be as low as 12 mph.
Easter Sunday is expected to experience comparable levels of traffic, with Easter Saturday and Easter Monday only marginally outperforming.
The motor business says many travellers evaluate the weather before travelling.
Rod Dennis, a spokesman for RAC Breakdown, said, “The south and west of the UK are the areas to watch, as they’re home to some vital roads that carry large numbers of people to the West Country’s holiday destinations – so our advice to anyone heading in that direction is to leave as early as possible on Good Friday, or travel on a different day.
Railway engineering, particularly the suspension of London Euston station over the holiday weekend, may increase wait times.
Port officials will attempt to avoid a repeat of last week’s mayhem.
Last weekend, tens of thousands of passengers were reportedly delayed for up to fourteen hours, causing chaos at the port.
French border officials are inspecting and stamping British passports due to Brexit, causing port delays.
To avoid the weekend’s issues, port officials performed a “urgent review” with ferry operators and French authorities.
Transport minister Richard Holden characterized the conditions at Dover over the weekend as “unacceptable.”
“I don’t want children on coaches or families in cars waiting in line for unnecessary lengths,” he said.
