Dover in UK, a departure point for France, eases backlog of tourist passengers

The peak in road traffic around the Port of Dover comes as travel chaos continues to plague the UK, with staff shortages disrupting air travel and strikes and extreme temperatures hampering trains.

Traffic in Dover, a key departure point for France where UK holidaymakers endured days of chaos, appeared to be easing on Sunday.

The Port of Dover said in a statement that it cleared waiting freight vehicles overnight and has now eased the backlog of tourist passengers from Friday and Saturday. So far this weekend the port has processed 72,000 passengers, equivalent to more than 200 miles of tourist and freight traffic combined, it said.

P&O Ferries Ltd. said on Twitter that the route to the Port of Dover is “currently clear,” that there are no queues at the entrance to the port and it’s taking approximately one hour to clear passport control.

The disruptions hit during one of the peak travel weekends, with many families starting their holidays after British schools shut for the summer. The peak in road traffic around the port comes as travel chaos continues to plague the UK, with staff shortages disrupting air travel and strikes and extreme temperatures hampering trains.

While traffic at the Port of Dover has eased, there is still congestion 10 miles south in Folkestone, where part of the M20 was closed to park 600 lorries, the BBC reported.

Eurotunnel said it may take passengers longer than normal to reach its UK terminal. “If you turn up late for your departure, we’ll get you on the next available service,” the company said on Twitter.

Travelers looking to avoid Dover are finding alternatives sold out, including many of DFDS’s services from Newhaven to Dieppe for the next week.