Ferry shortage causes six-hour jams at start of holidays

DOVER has been plunged into traffic chaos, with long queues near the port due to a shortage of cross-Channel ferry services and bad weather.

Drivers have been stuck in their cars for hours waiting to board their boats, while lorries came to a standstill overnight.

The suspension of P&O services, following the recent sacking of 800 workers, has contributed to the gridlocked roads, with delays expected to last for days. Tourists travelling to Kent for the Easter holidays meanwhile were also adding to the jams, with some motorists reporting delays of more than six hours.

The Port of Dover warned on social media yesterday that “all approach roads to the port” were “extremely busy” and it was working with ferry operators to get people on their way through the port as soon as possible.

Dover MP Natalie Elphicke blamed the delays, which began on Friday, in part on P&O Ferries, which she said is still not operating following “failed safety checks” on its new crews. Three P&O ferries in total are still out of action.

She warned the disruption is expected to last for the next few days.

Ministers are working to ensure the continuation of services unfulfilled by P&O in collaboration with other operators, including DFDS and Stena. DFDS said it was experiencing delays on “all of our crossings” yesterday resulting from recent adverse weather conditions.

Bus operator Stagecoach also said it was experiencing significant disruption to local services in Dover due to gridlock in the town centre.

Under Operation Brock, lorries heading to Dover are allowed to use one side of the M20. As many as 2,500 lorries were queuing on M20 at one point yesterday, according to reports.

The Department for Transport said local bodies were seeking to minimise disruption. “We are aware of queues at Dover, and the Kent Resilience Forum and local partners are working to minimise any disruption by deploying temporary traffic management measures as standard,” a spokesman said.

“This has been caused by a number of factors, including severe weather in the Channel.”

It came as British Airways cancelled or diverted dozens of flights yesterday after an IT glitch last week that led to a flurry of cancellations.

The airline said, however, that it had only “slightly reduced” its schedule until the end of May as it ramps up services post-pandemic – a move that had already been announced. The vast majority of the flights were operating as planned, it added.

A spokesman said it had apologised to affected customers and rebooked them onto flights on the same day where possible. They can also book an alternative flight or request a refund.