Port of Dover sets out plan to safeguard summer getaway
Ilaria Grasso MacolaThe Port of Dover will increase capacity to process coach passengers, add extra car lanes and provide hour-by-hour updates on processing times to strengthen its operations this summer.
The port on Tuesday (18 July) set out its detailed proposal to bolster resilience at the border, working in partnership with British and French border officials, after pre-emptively warning of potential two-and-a-half hour queues this coming weekend, the first of the summer school holidays.
Chief among its proposals is to work closely with the port’s three ferry operators, as well as coach operators, "to spread travel demand during peak times" with the aim of "improving flow rates" for all vehicles – coaches, cars and HGVs.
Dover will reinstate its designated coach processing facility to conduct advance passenger information checks and more than double coach processing capacity by increasing the number of positions for coaches from three to seven.
It will also bring another two booths into operation, giving the port scope to operate up to nine lanes for cars. Additional freight processing capacity will also be made available, said the port.
Other resilience measures include sharing hour-by-hour projections for processing times with operational partners to allow them to plan and to allocate resources accordingly, as well as stationing passenger champions ahead of border control posts to assist passengers during peak times.
Doug Bannister, the port’s chief executive, said: “We have worked hard with our partners to deliver a series of improvements to our shared operation, engaging in extensive planning for the peak period, and making continual investments that support the ferry operation and protect the local community."
Discover Ferries director Abby Penlington added that despite the significant numbers of people expected at the port, “everyone will be able to get away".
“Passengers who opt to travel via ferry from Dover can benefit from greater flexibility and experience a smoother journey; driving straight out of the port on the other side without waiting for border control or baggage reclaim and, unlike flights and time-stamped train tickets, if you miss the crossing time you booked, you can often just hop on the next available ferry,” said Penlington.
The port has also called on passengers to arrive no earlier than three hours before their crossing to avoid gridlocks.
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