As the summer holiday season kicks off, the Port of Dover is bracing for a surge in traffic, anticipating one of its busiest weekends of the year. The influx comes as schools across England and Wales commence their summer breaks. In the midst of this peak travel season, concerns have been raised about potential delays due to the new European Union border procedures that travelers bound for the continent must now navigate.
In light of technical delays that have impacted automated processing systems, French border authorities will be manually registering non-EU travelers under the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). This manual process, which will not involve the collection of biometric data like fingerprints and photos during this stage, is expected to prolong processing times. The anticipated slowdowns could lead to congestion at the port, which is an essential gateway for thousands of vehicles heading to Europe.
In addition to the expected delays at the Port of Dover, motoring organizations have also issued warnings of heavy traffic on major roads throughout the UK. The roads around London and those leading to the southwest are predicted to be particularly congested as millions of travelers embark on leisure trips. Citing favorable weather conditions, concerns over flight disruptions, and rising travel costs, many vacationers are choosing to stay within the country for their holidays.
To mitigate potential delays, the Port of Dover has advised travelers to stick to designated routes and to avoid arriving more than two hours prior to their scheduled ferry departure. This guidance comes as part of a broader effort to manage the flow of traffic and minimize wait times during this peak period. Similarly, airport operators and airlines are also advising passengers to prepare for possible delays as the summer travel season gets into full swing.