British motorists are set to experience the country’s busiest summer driving date in years with 10,000 cars expected to queue to get to France. A total of about 3.4million drivers are expected to hit roads today and will also have to deal with delays of more than half an hour at the Port of Dover.
It comes after the port’s chief executive said delays in the processing system are “very disappointing”. Brits heading abroad for holidays are being urged to take to the roads only when travelling to the port, and to arrive no earlier than two hours before their sailing time.
Today is predicted to be the busiest roads getaway day since 2022, following more than three million vehicles hitting the roads on Friday.
The RAC believes about 14million motorists in total will embark on trips from Friday to Sunday, including another 3.4million expected on Sunday.
Ports and airports across the EU have warned of increasing waiting times due to the new entry-exit system (EES) which requires more time to process each tourist.
However Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, said it is “very disappointing” that an EES system has not been used by French authorities to process travellers.
He said: “We delivered out Western Docks facility after investing £40million of our capital.
“We were under constant pressure to have it be operational, pursuant to the timeline that was EES, and it’s been specifically designed to handle our peak volumes safely and efficiently, and we can’t use it.
“But there are still a lot of unknowns and uncertainties around how the EES process will affect travel. It’s very disappointing.”
Secretary of state for transport Heidi Alexander recently met with French counterpart Philippe Tabarot and reportedly urged European authorities to be more flexible and pragmatic.
As reported in the Mail she said: “I am working with EU and French colleagues to ensure there is a pragmatic and flexible approach to EES this summer.
“We are doing everything in our power to keep holidaymakers and hauliers moving.
“We are also investing over £20million to help improve vehicle flow and increase passport booth capacity at Dover to help reduce delays.”