One week ahead of the summer surge for ferry traffic at Dover, families heading for France are being urged not to arrive at the port too early.
Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, told The Independent: “We are encouraging people to turn up two hours before their sailing – no more.
“If everybody can stick to that, it will make the travel much easier for everyone trying to get through.”
Dover, which has three competing ferry firms serving Calais as well as a link to Dunkirk, is by far the most busiest port for travellers to Europe.
The third weekend in July, as many families begin their summer holidays, has seen long queues for each of the past two years. Following the Brexit vote, the UK government negotiated for British travellers to become “third-country nationals” – with every passport scrutinised and stamped before entering the European Union.
At Dover, along with the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone and Eurostar’s London St Pancras hub, French frontier police conduct these checks on British soil. As a result, some motorists have waited in queues for many hours.
New facilities have been installed, with four extra checkpoints for French border staff installed – taking the total to 11. But Mr Bannister said work to accommodate the future Entry Exit System (EES) is causing complications.
A consequence of the UK’s status means that under the EES, due to start in October, every British passenger will have their fingerprints and facial biometric registered.
The port CEO said: “As well as having even more tourist traffic coming our way this year, we have the added challenge of having to implement our infrastructure works required by France and the EU to support the Entry Exit System.
“On arrival at the port this summer, our customers will see the contractors we have on-site, working around an already busy 24/7 operation to construct these facilities.
“The effect of these works that are required to house the process means that our buffer zone, where traffic waits for French border clearance, will have a reduced capacity.”
“If you enter the port two hours before your sailing, we’re going to endeavour get you through the border control process and get you checked in for your ferry.”
Crucially, Mr Bannister said, there is no penalty if you missed your planned departure: “If you’re disrupted our ferry operators will automatically rebook you on the next available ferry, and typically that is the next sailing. So you will get away.”
The port boss also asked motorists to stick to the designated routes along the A20 and A2. Trucks will be controlled using a permit system – with drivers who try their luck without one sent to the back of the queue.