At the start of the holiday season, there are extreme traffic jams at the port. The British blame France – but Brexit should also have an impact.
At the start of the summer holidays in England, traffic chaos loomed on the streets on Friday. According to the news channel Sky News, the ferry port in Dover declared an emergency in the morning because traffic on the access roads had come to a standstill.
The port authorities blamed the French authorities for this. The staffing at passport control, which takes place on the British side, was “deplorably insufficient” during the night and in the morning, according to a statement from the port. Despite months of preparation for the expected onslaught, insufficient resources were made available.
“Let Us Down”
“French customs abandoned us this morning,” complained Port Director Doug Bannister on the BBC. He spoke of a critical situation and advised travelers with tickets for the ferry to France against even going to the port. “The Port of Dover has been preparing for the summer season for months. We are very disappointed that the French side is undermanned,” read the port’s statement. British customers should currently be prepared for a waiting time of six hours.
But the background is also Brexit. British holidaymakers entering the European Union are now required to have their passports stamped because they are only allowed to stay in EU member states for 90 days at a time. “It’s something we insisted on when we left the EU,” British travel reporter Simon Calder said on Sky News television.