Dover delays – latest news: No 10 admits Brexit played role in chaos …
Updated April 4, 2023, 8:21 AM
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit[1] has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover[2].
It comes as the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) called for “crisis talks” with the Rishi Sunak[3]’s government, the Kent port and ferry companies to “resolve this mess once and for all”.
The coach operators’ body claimed their vehicles were “treated unfairly” after thousands of passengers were stranded in lengthy queues for up to 24 hours over the weekend.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said “a combination of factors” were to blame, including poor weather, the high volume of traffic and the new passport control processes.
Asked about the role of post-Brexit checks, the spokesman acknowledged that French officials are now required inspect and stamp every passport as passengers leave the UK.
“Obviously we recognise there are new processes in place,” Mr Sunak’s spokesman said on the manual checks.
Earlier Dover officials hit back at claims made by the home secretary that it was “not fair” to blame disruption at the port on Brexit.
A spokesperson for the port said that processing times for each passenger had increased since Britain left the EU[4] and it was a factor behind the disruption.
Key Points
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Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’
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Suella Braverman says ‘unfair’ to blame Dover chaos on Brexit
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Port of Dover queues clear after weekend of disruption
07:24 , Katy Clifton
We are pausing our live updates for now, but you can check out all our latest travel news here[5].
Voices: How deluded must you be to believe Dover wasn’t about Brexit (now even No10 admits it)
06:00 , Joe Middleton
In a crowded field, there is no other figure in public life who lives in a bubble of their own making to the same extent as Suella Braverman, writes Sean O’Grady.
Quite apart from the abject folly and failures of her Rwanda policy, her statements around grooming gangs and her economically illiterate attitude to migration, we find she is also suffering from the Brexit Delusion. No surprise, there.
According to the home secretary, who never seems quite on top of her brief, the massive queues at Dover are nothing at all to do with Brexit:
“No, I don’t think that’s fair to say that this has been an adverse effect of Brexit. We’ve had many years now since leaving the European Union and there’s been, on the whole, very good operations and processes at the border.”
How deluded must you be to believe Dover queues were not about Brexit? | Sean O’Grady[6]
Home secretary denies Dover delays and gridlock traffic will be regular occurrence
05:01 , Joe Middleton
Suella Braverman claims Brexit is not to blame for the 14-hour queues at the Port of Dover and insists gridlock traffic will not be a regular occurrence.
The home secretary claimed it was “unfair” to blame the post-Brexit passport checks for the chaos as the port as Easter holidaymakers get stuck in misery at the border with France.
Ms Braverman said in general “things have been operating very smoothly at the border” and she does not think “this is the state of affairs to go forward”.
Home secretary denies Dover delays and gridlock traffic will be regular occurrence[7]
Simon Calder warns of ‘big problem’ before renewing travel documents
04:00 , Joe Middleton
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits after Braverman blames bad weather and Easter
03:00 , Joe Middleton
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover.
Suella Braverman was accused of being in “complete denial” after she claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
Adam Forrest reports.
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits[8]
Cricketers stuck in 10-hour Dover queue play impromptu match to pass time
02:00 , Joe Middleton
Cricketers stuck in a 10-hour queue for the Dover ferry played an impromptu match to while away the wait.
Students from Southampton University Cricket Club started playing at Folkestone services in Kent after their planned trip to Italy was put on hold.
The group set off from their university campus at 6am to board a ferry at 11:15am, but were delayed until 9pm.
The players are staying in Italy for four nights as part of a trip bringing university sports societies from across the UK together.
Cricketers stuck in 10-hour Dover queue play impromptu match to pass time[9]
Coach firms ‘treated unfairly’ during Dover disruption
01:00 , Joe Middleton
Coach operators have claimed their vehicles were “treated unfairly” after thousands of passengers were stranded at the Port of Dover for up to 24 hours over the weekend.
Trade association the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) called for “crisis talks” with the Government, the Kent port and ferry companies to “resolve this mess once and for all”.
Many holidaymakers travelling by coach during the weekend – the start of the Easter holiday period for many schools – were delayed entering the port and being processed.
Coach firms ‘treated unfairly’ during Dover disruption[10]
Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover
Monday 3 April 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton
Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
When it’s the start of the Easter holidays and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.
While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.
Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.
“Blame,” though, is the wrong term here. We got what we signed up after a democratic vote to leave the European Union and asking to become “third-country nationals” in the eyes of the EU.
Why are there delays at Dover?[11]
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits after Braverman blames bad weather and Easter
Monday 3 April 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover.
Suella Braverman was accused of being in “complete denial” after she claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
Adam Forrest reports.
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits[12]
Suella Braverman blames bad weather and Easter for Dover queues
Monday 3 April 2023 22:00 , Joe Middleton
Home Secretary Suella Braverman was accused of being in “complete denial” about Brexit after the home secretary claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
In pictures: Dover queues today
Monday 3 April 2023 21:00 , Martha Mchardy
Vehicles wait in line in the check-in lanes at the Port of Dover in Kent after a weekend of backlogs which left passengers stuck in Easter traffic for hours as the Easter holidays begun (PA)
Traffic moves through Dover Port on April 03, 2023 in Dover, England (Getty Images)
Traffic moves through Dover Port on April 03, 2023 in Dover, England (Getty Images)
Watch: Cricketers stuck in 10-hour Dover queue play impromptu match to pass time
Monday 3 April 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy
Simon Calder: Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover
Monday 3 April 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy
When it’s the start of the Easter holidays[13] and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.
While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday,[14] the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover[15].
Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather[16] and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.
Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather[17] and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.
“Blame,” though, is the wrong term here. We got what we signed up after a democratic vote to leave the European Union[18] and asking to become “third-country nationals” in the eyes of the EU.
Simon Calder reports:
Why are there delays at Dover?[19]
Suella Braverman blames bad weather and Easter for Dover queues
Monday 3 April 2023 18:00 , Martha Mchardy
Home Secretary Suella Braverman[20] was accused of being in “complete denial” about Brexit after the home secretary claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover[21] were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
ICYMI: Queues cleared after weekend of Easter holiday travel chaos
Monday 3 April 2023 17:00 , Matt Mathers
Queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover[22] have cleared after a weekend of disruption, according to one of the ferry companies hit by delays.
Coach[23] passengers were forced to spend hours waiting to enter the port, be processed and board ferries over the weekend.
Martha McHardy reports:
Port of Dover queues cleared after weekend of Easter holiday travel chaos[24]
No 10 admits Brexit played role in chaos amid calls for crisis meeting
Monday 3 April 2023 16:10 , Martha Mchardy
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit[25] has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover[26].
It comes as the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) called for “crisis talks” with the Rishi Sunak[27]’s government, the Kent port and ferry companies to “resolve this mess once and for all”.
The coach operators’ body claimed their vehicles were “treated unfairly” after thousands of passengers were stranded in lengthy queues for up to 24 hours over the weekend.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said “a combination of factors” were to blame, including poor weather, the high volume of traffic and the new passport control processes.
Adam Forrest reports:
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits[28]
ICYMI: Lack of government planning contributed to delays
Monday 3 April 2023 16:00 , Matt Mathers
A lack of planning by the government contributed to the large queues seen at the Port of Dover over the weekend, Labour has suggested.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers should work more closely with France to avoid further delays in the future.
Pressed on how the opposition would act differently on cross-channel traffic, as it has suggested it would not to restore freedom of movement with the EU, Ms Cooper described the situation as “a total nightmare for people trying to travel this weekend”.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We can’t have this every time there is an Easter holiday, every time there is a summer holiday.
“It is particularly the lack of planning around coach parties and that really affects school children as well.”
Pressed for solutions, Ms Cooper added: “I would urge the Home Office, the transport department, to talk with Dover and also with their French counterparts to make sure that we don’t get a re-run of this.”
Coach firms ‘treated unfairly’ during Dover disruption
Monday 3 April 2023 15:18 , Matt Mathers
Coach operators have claimed their vehicles were “treated unfairly” after thousands of passengers were stranded at the Port of Dover[29] for up to 24 hours over the weekend.
Trade association the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) called for “crisis talks” with the government, the Kent[30] port and ferry companies to “resolve this mess once and for all”.
Neil Lancefield reports:
Coach firms ‘treated unfairly’ during Dover disruption[31]
‘Combination of factors’ caused delays – No 10
Monday 3 April 2023 14:30 , Matt Mathers
A “combination of factors” led to delays at the Port of Dover over the weekend, No 10 has said.
Asked whether Brexit was one of the factors, the spokesman said the French were “inspecting and stamping every single passport”.
The spokesman added: “We recognise there are new processes in place – that’s why authorities were given a long time to prepare for the new checks, including during the transition period, of course.
“And we are in discussion with our French counterparts about how we can further improve the flow of traffic.”
‘Something clearly wrong’ at Dover – transport boss
Monday 3 April 2023 13:50 , Matt Mathers
Coach operators have said there is “clearly something wrong” at the Port of Dover following travel chaos at the weekend and have called for talks with the government.
Graham Vidler, chief executive of industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: “Something’s clearly wrong when a coach, the most efficient way to transport large numbers of people across the Channel, is treated unfairly compared to other vehicles.
“Coaches provide the answer to the environmental and congestion issues we’re trying to address, yet some of our spacious vehicles full of students and holidaymakers were left stranded.
“The procedures to enter the EU should not have a negative impact on people who don’t want to fly or drive by car to continental Europe.
“We’re calling on the government, the Port of Dover and ferry companies to get round the table with the coach sector to resolve this mess once and for all.”
ICYMI: Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman
Monday 3 April 2023 12:30 , Matt Mathers
Home secretary Suella Braverman[32] has rejected suggestions that Brexit[33] could be the cause of delays at the Port[34] of Dover[35] as passengers on the Easter getaway faced long queues.
Extra sailings were run overnight to try and clear the backlog, which has left passengers stuck in traffic for hours, and by Sunday morning the port estimated some travellers would face waits of up to eight hours, depending on the ferry operator.
Helen William reports:
Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman[36]
French to blame for queues – senior Tory
Monday 3 April 2023 11:35 , Matt Mathers
Senior Tory MP Tim Loughton has claimed that a lack of staff at the French border control is to blame for delays at Dover – not Brexit, politics correspondent Adam Forrest reports.
“It’s very fashionable to blame everything on Brexit,” he told Times Radio. “So the problem isn’t with the fact that passports are being more rigorously checked.
“I think that’s a good thing. The problem is how many people we’ve got doing it.”
Mr Loughton, former chair of the home affairs select committee, said the lack of French border staff is causing the problems: “It’s because there were not sufficient border force people there from the French equivalent checking those passports.”
He added: “There needs to be more people processing those passports at peak time and it needs to flow better but to just blindly say all this is all due to Brexit. It’s a bit of a lame excuse.”
Simon Calder, The Independent’s travel correspondent, said there was “no suggestion that the French are doing anything other than being diligent.”
Watch both of the exchanges below:
“There is no suggestion that the French are doing anything other than being diligent.”
The French are simply fulfilling Britain’s wishes by conducting time-consuming border checks, leading to a backlog at the Port of Dover, says Simon Calder. @AlexisConran | @SimonCalder pic.twitter.com/LVOaHVTDNf[37][38][39]
— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) April 2, 2023[40]
Brexit impact has not been adequately planned for, travel agent says
Monday 3 April 2023 11:22 , Matt Mathers
The government failed to adequately prepare for the impact Brexit would have on passport control at the Port of Dover, a travel agent has said.
“It’s distressing to see the whole scenario that’s played out at Dover this weekend, and hugely disappointing for those that are trying to get away for the Easter period,” Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK’s largest network of independent travel agents, said.
“We always knew it was going to be a busy period for ports and airports, and, whilst mitigation measures were put in place, it is clear that the Brexit impact has not been adequately planned for.
“Since the UK left the EU, the need for passports to be stamped and checked by French authorities – which is done at Dover – has created a bottleneck at the port and is a major contributor to the delays that have been experienced.”
‘Of course Brexit has had an impact’ – Starmer
Monday 3 April 2023 10:29 , Matt Mathers
Brexit “has had an impact” on cross-Channel holidaymakers’ journeys, Sir Keir Starmer said.
The Labour leader told LBC: “Of course Brexit has had an impact. There are more checks to be done.
“That doesn’t mean that I am advocating a reversal of Brexit, I am not. I have always said there is no case now for going back in.”
Sir Keir added: “But once we left, it was obvious that what had to happen at the border would change.
“Whichever way you voted that was obvious. Whichever way you voted you are entitled to have a Government that recognises that and plans ahead.
“Yet again we have got to the first big holiday of the year and we have got queues to the great frustration of many families trying to get out to have a well-earned holiday, and I think my message to the Government, their message, would be get a grip.”
File photo: Keir Starmer on LBC (LBC)
Lack of government planning to blame for queues – Labour
Monday 3 April 2023 09:48 , Matt Mathers
A lack of planning by the government contributed to the large queues seen at the Port of Dover over the weekend, Labour has suggested.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said ministers should work more closely with France to avoid further delays in the future.
Pressed on how the opposition would act differently on cross-channel traffic, as it has suggested it would not to restore freedom of movement with the EU, Ms Cooper described the situation as “a total nightmare for people trying to travel this weekend”.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We can’t have this every time there is an Easter holiday, every time there is a summer holiday.
“It is particularly the lack of planning around coach parties and that really affects school children as well.”
Pressed for solutions, Ms Cooper added: “I would urge the Home Office, the transport department, to talk with Dover and also with their French counterparts to make sure that we don’t get a re-run of this.”
Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays
Monday 3 April 2023 09:20 , Matt Mathers
Coach passengers who have been stuck in queues of up to eight hours in Dover[41] have finally made it in to the port.
Traffic delays began on Friday and passengers hoping to get away for their Easter break on Sunday night will face a few more hours waiting to be processed at border controls and then get on a ferry.
Full report:
Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays[42]
Watch: Simon Calder explains Port of Dover queues
Monday 3 April 2023 08:20 , Matt Mathers
The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder has explained why there were queues at the Port of Dover.
He said that passport checks were slowing down the process and that the scenes at the weekend which “very sadly, could have been predicted”.
Watch the full clip here:
Brexit has made traffic control harder – Port of Dover CEO
Monday 3 April 2023 07:42 , Matt Mathers
Brexit has made managing traffic at the Port of Dover more difficult, its chief executive has said.
Doug Bannister said all passports had to be checked before vehicles could leave the UK for France.
He said this Easter had been busier than last year following the lifting of Covid restrictions. More comments below:
Re-cap: why was there gridlock at Dover again?
Monday 3 April 2023 07:30 , Matt Mathers
Post-Brexit passport rules mean it typically takes 20 minutes to process passengers on a coach – far longer than before, writes travel correspondent Simon Calder.
Read Simon’s full piece here:
Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?[43]
Port of Dover queues clear after weekend of disruption
Monday 3 April 2023 07:00 , Namita Singh
Queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover[44] have cleared after a weekend of disruption, according to one of the ferry companies hit by delays.
Coach[45] passengers were forced to spend hours waiting to enter the port, be processed and board ferries over the weekend.
This morning P&O Ferries tweeted: “There are no longer any queues at the entrance to the Port[46] of Dover. We apologise for the wait times experienced this weekend.”
Report:
Port of Dover queues clear after weekend of disruption[47]
‘Forty coaches awaiting immigration processing’ at Port of Dover
Monday 3 April 2023 06:30 , Namita Singh
There are currently about 40 coaches in the Port awaiting immigration processing at the border, tweeted Port of Dover travel. “The current waiting time for these vehicles is around 4 hours.”
There are currently about 40 coaches in the Port awaiting immigration processing at the border. The current waiting time for these vehicles is around 4 hours. Thank you for your patience as we try get these vehicles to their onward journey
— Port of Dover Travel (@PoD_travelnews) April 2, 2023[48]
‘No longer queues at entrance’
Monday 3 April 2023 06:00 , Namita Singh
UK’s largest ferry operators P&O Ferries issued a statement notifying that “there are no longer any queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover”.
“We apologise for the wait times experienced this weekend,” it posted on Twitter.
#PODOVER[49] – There are no longer any queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover. We apologise for the wait times experienced this weekend
— P&O Ferries Updates (@POferriesupdate) April 3, 2023[50]
ICYMI: ‘Frustrated’ Dover officials blame ‘lengthy French border processes’ as travellers stranded for over 16 hours
Monday 3 April 2023 05:30 , Namita Singh
Officials at the Port of Dover[51] say they are “deeply frustrated” about significant traffic delays[52] that have seen thousands of travellers queueing for up to 16 hours as the Easter getaway begins.
A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday, and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French[53] border control as partly responsible.
In a statement on Saturday, the port blamed the delays on “lengthy French border processes and [the] sheer volume” of people travelling.
More in this report:
Dover officials blame ‘lengthy French border processes’ as travellers stuck for hours[54]
Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman
Monday 3 April 2023 05:00 , Namita Singh
Home secretary Suella Braverman[55] has rejected suggestions that Brexit[56] could be the cause of delays at the Port[57] of Dover[58] as passengers on the Easter getaway faced long queues.
Extra sailings were run overnight to try and clear the backlog, which has left passengers stuck in traffic for hours, and by Sunday morning the port estimated some travellers would face waits of up to eight hours, depending on the ferry operator.
A port spokesperson said: “The additional sailings have assisted in clearing some of the traffic, although currently both DFDS and P&O have two full lanes of coaches in the port before French[59] border controls, with a processing time of about 4.5 hours.
More in this report:
Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman[60]
Dover officials dismiss Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’
Monday 3 April 2023 04:30 , Namita Singh
Port of Dover officials have hit back at claims by the home secretary that long queues at the port are not a result of Brexit.
A spokesperson for the port said the processing time for each passenger had increased since Britain left the European Union, and that this was a factor in the disruption.
Suella Braverman had earlier said that Brexit[61] was not to blame for several days of travel chaos at Dover – insisting that traffic gridlock would not be a regular occurrence on the border with France.
Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:
Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’[62]
Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays
Monday 3 April 2023 04:10 , Namita Singh
Coach passengers who have been stuck in queues of up to eight hours in Dover[63] have finally made it in to the port.
Traffic delays began on Friday and passengers hoping to get away for their Easter break on Sunday night will face a few more hours waiting to be processed at border controls and then get on a ferry.
P&O Ferries told coach drivers to head straight to the port to join the buffer zone queues, where advance passenger information (API) will be taken, but said “currently there is a 6+ hour wait to reach the border check points”.
Read the report for the latest statement from Port of Dover about the weekend coach traffic.
Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays[64]
Monday 3 April 2023 03:57 , Namita Singh
Good morning. We are back with the blog on disruption at the Port of Dover for Monday, 3 April 2023, providing the latest on the high levels of traffic leading to lengthy delays.
Blog closed
Sunday 2 April 2023 23:51 , Joe Middleton
The blog on disruption at the Port of Dover is closed for the evening, but will be back on Monday.
Dover chaos: Simon Calder explains why Brexit is to blame for massive backlog
Sunday 2 April 2023 23:19 , Joe Middleton
Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?
Sunday 2 April 2023 21:57 , Joe Middleton
As many as 20,000 coach passengers hoping to sail from the UK’s leading port to Calais and Dunkirk this weekend have endured extremely long waits at Dover – in some cases up to 18 hours – before departing by ferry to France.
The delays coincided with the start of the Easter holidays for many schools, which brought a surge of coaches to the Kent port.
The Port of Dover declared a critical incident and says it has been “working round the clock with the ferry operators and border agencies to get coach passengers on their way, with extra sailings being put on overnight to help clear the backlog”.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder explains why there is disruption at Dover.
Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?[65]
Home secretary denies Dover delays will be regular occurrence
Sunday 2 April 2023 21:12 , Joe Middleton
Travellers describe ‘carnage’ at Dover queues
Sunday 2 April 2023 20:14 , Thomas Kingsley
On Saturday, passenger Rosie Pearson described the travel scenes in Dover as “carnage” as she was stuck for 16 hours with her husband and two teenagers.
Ms Pearson, 50, is an environmental campaigner from Essex and was travelling to Val d’Isere in the French Alps on an overnight bus.
Charity director Maggie Gordon-Walker, of Brighton, said her son’s school trip to Italy’s Folgarida area had to be cancelled due to health concerns for the tired coach drivers caused by the delays.
Ms Gordon-Walker, who feels the delays have been “exacerbated hugely because of Brexit red tape”, told the PA news agency: “They arrived at Dover around 8pm yesterday (Saturday) and were shunted off to a services near Folkestone.
“They returned to Dover around 2am and stayed in the coach in the queue until 9.20am this morning, when it was decided the trip had to be cancelled on the grounds of health and safety because the coach drivers would have needed a nine-hour rest break upon arrival in France, so the school party would have been travelling for over 48 hours without sleep.”
Originally published April 4, 2023, 5:23 AM
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- ^ Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays (www.independent.co.uk)
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- ^ Port of Dover (www.independent.co.uk)
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- ^ Port of Dover (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ significant traffic delays (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ French (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Dover officials blame ‘lengthy French border processes’ as travellers stuck for hours (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Suella Braverman (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Brexit (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Port (www.independent.co.uk)
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- ^ Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Brexit (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’ (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Dover (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this? (www.independent.co.uk)