Britain and France 'put plans in place' to prevent further border travel chaos

Previous issues blamed on shortage of French border officials

Cars queue to enter the Port of Dover in Kent as families embark on summer getaways following the start of holidays for many schools in England and Wales. PA

Britain and France have announced new plans to prevent further border chaos.

In a joint statement on Friday, Phil Douglas, director general of the UK Border Force, and Brigitte Lafourcade, deputy director general at France's Police Aux Frontieres, said the two countries are “working closely” to support the smooth flow of traffic.

It comes after tens of thousands of families saw their cross-Channel journeys ruined last weekend by gridlocked traffic and delays of several hours, blamed on a shortage of French border officers and a serious crash on the M20 coinciding with the school holidays.

Mr Douglas and Ms Lafourcade said: “France and the UK have been working closely together over recent days to prepare for the management of our shared border through the current period of increased passenger traffic.

“Both Police Aux Frontieres and UK Border Force, in partnership with the port operators, have put plans in place at the juxtaposed controls on both sides of the Channel this weekend to maximise passenger flows.

“France and the UK will continue to work together intensively to support fluidity of freight and passengers across the Channel through the summer period and beyond.”

The Cabinet Office said earlier on Friday that British and French officials have had regular discussions this week on the travel chaos.

A new “UK-French Passenger Technical Working group” has been established that will meet weekly during the summer to prevent further disruption for passengers travelling to either side of the Channel.

Traffic enforcement has also been put in place to keep roads around Dover and Folkestone passable, the Cabinet Office said.

Earlier on Friday, several major roads throughout the UK were hit by congestion, affecting holidaymakers heading to the south and south-west of England.

Cars form long queues at the check-in at the Port of Dover in Kent. PA

People decide to go by foot into the Port of Dover. Many families are embarking on getaways at the start of summer holidays for many schools in England and Wales. PA

Staffing at French border control at the Port of Dover is 'woefully inadequate', causing holidaymakers to be stuck in long queues, the Kent port said. PA

A man cycles with a suitcase past traffic jams in Dover. AP

Traffic jams leading to the ferry in Dover. PA

Long car queues at Dover. PA

This was due to a combination of school summer holidays in England and Wales, a rail strike, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the start of the Football League season in England.

But though some jams were reported, fears of a repeat of last week’s horrendous delays on roads approaching the Port of Dover and Folkestone proved unfounded.

In Dover and Folkstone, the operation was much smoother on Friday, with P&O Ferries saying there were “no queues at border controls and traffic is free-flowing through the port”.

Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said on Thursday that French border controls will be “fully resourced”, which will make a “fundamental difference”.

The port expects to welcome about 140,000 passengers, 45,000 cars and 18,000 freight vehicles between Thursday and Sunday.

National Highways, which manages England’s motorways and major A roads, said: “Drivers travelling in and around Kent are advised to plan ahead as this weekend is likely to be extremely busy.

“Operation Brock contraflow remains in place on the M20 and is part of a series of measures to improve Kent’s resilience and ensure the smooth flow of traffic through the region in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel.”

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “While this heavy traffic is a frustration for many, those working for the British tourism industry should be delighted that so many want to holiday at home and explore the best Britain has to offer.

“The one shining light has been the South East where both Dover and Folkestone have little to no delays.

“However, tomorrow will be even busier, so drivers planning to hit the road need to be prepared for stop-start traffic.