{"id":32375,"date":"2022-05-29T18:37:03","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T18:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2022\/05\/29\/half-term-travel-dover-passengers-stuck-for-hours-at-border-control\/"},"modified":"2022-05-29T18:37:03","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T18:37:03","slug":"half-term-travel-dover-passengers-stuck-for-hours-at-border-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2022\/05\/29\/half-term-travel-dover-passengers-stuck-for-hours-at-border-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Half-term travel: Dover passengers ‘stuck for hours’ at border control"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some passengers trying to leave the UK via Dover say they are stuck “for hours” due to a lack of open French border control booths. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The disruption began on Saturday when travelers experienced extremely busy roads and canceled Easyjet flights at the start of the half-term holiday. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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P&O Ferries said delays were “out of control” as border checks were being carried out by French border police. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The French authorities have been asked for comments. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In a statement, the Port of Dover said the situation was likely to last “a few hours”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It said: \u201cThe port is working with its French counterparts to channel tourist traffic through border controls as quickly as possible. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“The port is very busy working with all ferry operators to minimize delays after border control.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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BBC presenter Kathryn Stanczyszyn was among the travelers stranded in port due to the delays of over six hours. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She said: “We arrived at 6.30am for an 8.30am DFDS crossing and took advice on when to arrive but on one occasion we were held at border control for an hour and a half to two hours and missed the crossing. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhen we checked in we were told they couldn’t get us on a boat until 11:55am and that boat was then delayed another hour. It was very stressful and tiring to wait so long.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On Sunday, a passenger tweeted that he missed his 09:15 CET crossing with P&O despite queuing since 06:30 CET, describing it as “utter outrage” that only two border control booths were open. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another passenger said he missed his ferry after waiting at border control for almost two hours. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In addition to delays at border control, the Port of Dover warned it had seen tourists arriving without tickets. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It added: “The port is very busy and sees tourists arriving without tickets. Please do not travel to the Port of Dover unless you have a booked ticket for the journey. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Your ferry company will put you on the next available departures.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dover MP Natalie Elphicke called for a review of the National Highway’s ‘stick-and-cover’ approach to traffic problems in the region. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Taking to Twitter, she said: “This week I called for action to be taken on the streets of Dover. Dover becomes almost as famous for its traffic jams as for its White Cliffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“It is worrying that the half-term break is bringing traffic chaos back to Dover.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Kent Resilience Forum, the body responsible for traffic management and emergency planning, said more traffic officers were dispatched to Dover on Sunday to “actively manage the roads in the city to get things moving”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Follow BBC South East on <\/i>Facebookon <\/i>Twitter<\/a>and further <\/i>Instagram. Submit your story ideas to <\/i>Southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n