CHAOS CAUSES TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK AND MISERY FOR THOUSANDS
French border guards had been the cause of the delays.
“Quelle surprise,” she said. “It’s critical French border officials turn up for work tomorrow at the Port of Dover and that the passport controls are working at full capacity.”
Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins said it was”totally unacceptable” the delays had occurred.
But the French were adamant that blame did not lie with them. Instead they argued the delays were caused by the extra time required to check passports now that Britain has exited the European Union.
Transport minister Clément Beaune tweeted: “France is not responsible for Brexit.”
With travellers experiencing lengthy wait times to even reach the ferries or the Tunnel terminal, highways bosses urged motorists to bring food and water with them on their journeys.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, warned that “many are waiting for several hours” to get to the terminal outside Folkestone even as the situation at the Port of Dover improved over the weekend.
He said: “Dover has now recovered, but Folkestone has become the hotspot of holiday hell.
“Drivers heading to Folkestone need to be prepared.
“We have seen that many are waiting for several hours before they get to the terminal, so all the pre-journey vehicle checks are key along with carrying plenty of food, water and entertainment for younger travellers.”
Worryingly, highways bosses fear the scenes on the roads this weekend could be repeated throughout the summer.
Kent County Council highways manager Toby Howe, tactical lead for the county’s Resilience Forum, believes there will also be delays next weekend, with figures showing “it will be a busy period”.
“One of the key problems behind the delay is the resource of customs checks both at Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover,” he said.
“There are discussions within government as to what can be done, whether that’ll be a better use of technology or whatever.
“But unfortunately, nothing’s going to happen overnight, so we’ll have to continue managing the traffic as best we can to mitithat gate impact on the county.”
Throughout the day, people living in Dover were reportedly abandoning their cars in order to get to work, while the council leader said school children were getting stuck on buses.
Stagecoach has also reported problems operating bus services in Folkestone due to the closure of the Roundhill tunnel.
Joel Mitchell, Stagecoach’s managing director in the South East, said: “The situation is causing considerable disruption in east Kent.
“Buses trapped in traffic gridlock causes disruption to the lives of thousands of local people who rely on our services.”
Dover council leader Trevor Bartlett added: “I wrote to the Kent Resilience Forum three weeks ago to express my concerns and to call for a more proactive approach to keep Dover clear. Those calls were not heeded.”
As the situation eased by the end of the weekend, Mr Bannister said: “I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has turned this situation around, from the French and UK authorities to our ferry operators, Kent partners and our own port staff.
“I am also incredibly grateful for the support and understanding that our customers and community have shown us during this challenging period.
“We all now owe it to them to ensure our summer plan is delivered in full for the rest of the holiday period.”
The government has insisted changes to border control measures after Brexit did not have a “significant role” in the disruption, reiterating its stance that problems occurred because French authorities did not provide enough border officials on Friday.
The ‘critical incident’ in Dover was stood down on Monday.
‘Alongside the delays for tourists, the local community is the biggest loser…’