Holidaymakers at the Port of Dover are facing significant delays of up to three hours due to a combination of poor weather conditions and train strikes, causing disruptions during Britain’s summer getaway. The busiest day for travel is expected to be Saturday, as schools in England and Wales have commenced their six-week summer holiday, leading to over 2 million UK holidaymakers venturing abroad this weekend. On Friday, Europe witnessed the busiest day for airline travel since 2019, with more than 35,000 flights taking off.
The RMT and Aslef unions’ train strikes have resulted in expected delays on Saturday, as some parts of the country experienced a complete shutdown of rail services throughout the day. DFDS, a passenger and freight company, has cautioned travelers that passing through all border controls and checking in at the Port of Dover may take up to three hours. The AA has also reported extensive delays on the A20 due to the influx of people and lorries heading towards Dover Port.
These delays at Dover have been exacerbated by post-Brexit passport checks, despite the implementation of various mitigation measures by the port. Collaborating with coach operators, the port has aimed to distribute departures across less busy days. However, car passengers scheduled to travel on Saturday and Sunday have been advised to arrive at least three hours before their booked departure time.
The new border regulations now require individual passport checks for all passengers. The port has reintroduced a check system for coach passengers, initially implemented during the May half-term, to be used throughout the summer. Once the border checks are completed, vehicles can progress swiftly through the port. However, Dover’s physical constraints, limited by the town and cliffs, result in a small holding area for queuing arrivals. The port has urged passengers not to arrive earlier than the recommended three hours in advance. In case of missed departures, passengers usually have the opportunity to catch the next available ferry.
In other travel news, by 3:08 pm on Friday, a total of 20,490 passengers had sailed from the Port of Dover to France. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of passengers are expected to travel through Heathrow and Gatwick airports in the next few days. Abta, the travel association, has reported approximately 200,000 departures from Manchester airport and 71,000 departures from Bristol.
The UK’s inclement weather can be attributed to the position of a jet stream pushing high pressure to the south, resulting in a heatwave in parts of Europe.
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