Passengers have been advised to arrive three hours ahead of time at Dover as port braces for weekend queues.
Long queues are expected at the UK’s port of Dover this weekend as schools break up for the summer holidays.
Travellers could face waits of up to two-and-a-half hours on 22 and 23 July, with passengers advised to arrive three hours ahead of their scheduled departure.
The busiest time is likely to be between 6am and 2pm, the port has warned.
More than 3,000 private cars are expected before 10am on Saturday – more than five times the number on Tuesday – UK newspaper The Guardian reports.
Why are there long queues at Dover?
Last year, holidaymakers faced hours-long queues at the English Channel port as border officials struggled to carry out post-Brexit passport checks.
With many UK schools starting their summer break this weekend, there’s likely to be an uptick in families heading to France.
Queues also built up during this year’s Easter holiday, with some people waiting up to six hours to catch their ferries. Then UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss blamed this on staff shortages and a lack of officials at the French border.
French transport minister Clément Beaune hit back on Twitter saying that France is not responsible for Brexit.
What’s being done to reduce queues at Dover?
Extra booths have been installed for French border officials to cope with increased demand this summer, The Guardian reports.
The port is also redirecting coaches to a designated processing facility on Thursdays to Sundays over the busy holiday period (14 July to 26 August).
Passengers are usually allowed to catch the next available ferry if they miss their booking due to queues.
Source: Euro News
