A Government survey has revealed that one in seven people might think twice about heading to continental Europe following the introduction of new EU border checks. The Department for Transport’s poll, which involved 1,584 individuals aged 16 and above, found that increased queuing or additional document checks when leaving the UK are major concerns regarding the Entry/Exit System (EES).
The findings also showed that a delay of over an hour due to the EES could lead 20% of respondents to either cancel or delay their ferry trips to the continent. Set to be implemented on October 6, the EES aims to enhance border security.
Under the new system, non-EU nationals, including those from the UK, will have to undergo biometric registrationfingerprinting and a photographupon their first entry into an EU member state, with this information being kept for three years. Anxiety is mounting over potential bottlenecks at key UK points like Dover Port, Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal, and St Pancras station, where French border controls are conducted pre-departure for cross-Channel trips.
Phil Smith, UK coach manager at the Confederation of Passenger Transport, emphasised the importance of preparedness: “It is vital for coach passengers and the sustainability of coach travel to Europe that UK ports make sure that systems are in place so that the EU’s new Entry and Exit system does not cause long delays when it comes into force in October.”
“UK coach companies travelling to Europe generate significant amounts of revenue for the UK economy and for the countries to which people travel by coach more than £14 billion every year from around 23 million individual coach trips. “That is why CPT has worked hard with port authorities at UK ports like Dover or Folkstone to ensure there will be swift and efficient passport checks so that a full coach of 50 passengers will complete this process without delay, reports Wales Online.
“It is also important that other traffic does not experience delays too because coaches share road space, so efforts to prevent congestion in and around our Channel ports will be essential too.”
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said: “Safety and security are of course paramount, but it is crucial that the Government and the travel industry work together to make sure that Brits have a thorough understanding of the new system, when they come into effect and how they will impact travel.”
“We do advise travellers to be prepared in case of delays on their first trip to any of the 29 European countries involved in the new system as they will need to have their fingerprints and facial images taken.”
“We understand that people can be hesitant to travel if they expect delays, however, with this information valid for the next three years of travel, we then hope to see the use of automated border control checks and self-service systems increase the speed of processing times and improve the overall experience for all travellers so we do not think it should discourage people from travelling.”
“We expect the EES to be a small addition to the process of travel and have minimal impact on the incredibly strong demand we are seeing for travel this year from consumers. We recommend booking through your local travel agent who will be able to ensure you are fully compliant with all travel requirements.”
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