Port of Dover declares critical incident as high levels of traffic caused lengthy delays
Long queues at the Port of Dover have seen travellers queuing for up to 12 hours in significant traffic delays as the Easter getaway begins.
A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible.
In a statement on Saturday morning, the port blamed the delays on “lengthy French border processes and sheer volume” of people travelling.
An environmental campaigner named Rosie, who persuaded her family to take the coach rather than fly to France, said the situation in Dover was “absolute carnage.”
She told Sky News that she had waited for 12 hours and they were facing at least another two-hour delay before begin processed, adding: “Nobody has come to see us to say anything.”
A spokesman for the Port of Dover said just before 9am on Saturday: “Coach waiting time is still several hours, but tourist cars are getting through OK.”
Starmer urges government to ‘get a grip’ on Dover delays
Sir Keir Starmer urged the Government to “get a grip” of the situation at Dover.
“I really feel for people trying to get through Dover. There will have been families who have booked holidays and now they are frustrated yet again and I think the nature of the frustration will be ‘not again’.
“This is not the first time there have been problems at Dover.
“The Government needs to get a grip of this.
“You can’t have every summer holiday, every Easter holiday, the same old problem.
“And so the Government needs to get a grip on this and actually help people out in who are just trying to get away for a few days holiday.”
Traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent as the Easter getaway begins (Gareth Fuller/PA)
(PA Wire)
Maryam Zakir-Hussain1 April 2023 11:22
Dover ferry passengers warned of severe delays as travellers stranded for over 12 hours
A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible.
In a statement on Saturday morning, the port blamed the delays on “lengthy…
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