Travel warning: Queues grow longer in Dover amid warnings of long delays as millions prepare to flee the Easter break | UK News

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Ferry companies warn that it can take several hours to reach queues in Dover, where the wait to cross the Channel can be even longer.

P&O Ferries said queues at the Dover Port entrance are extending to 60 minutes for motorists, adding that waiting for buses to board ferries has also started to build.

Meanwhile, Irish Ferries have advised people to allow up to three hours before their time of travel in Dover, warning people not to head into port unless they have a confirmed booking.

DFDS added that there were delays of about two hours in Calais due to the volume of checks for bus passengers that had to be carried out.

The port itself said vehicle processing times could be up to an hour and a half, as millions of people hit the roads for the Easter weekend.

She added that queues could get long into the early afternoon, but she managed demand over the entire Easter weekend.

Elsewhere, major roads across the UK are set to see delays, with roads in the southwest of England and some key counties likely to see the worst congestion on Good Friday, according to the RAC.

The westbound A303 near Stonehenge, the M5 southbound between Bristol and Bridgwater and the counterclockwise M25 between Hertfordshire and Surrey are expected to see more than double the normal amount of traffic.

Sometimes, vehicle speeds are expected to be as slow as 12 mph.

Easter Sunday is expected to see similar levels of traffic, with a slight improvement on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday.

And according to the car company, many will wait to see what the weather will be like before deciding whether or not to travel.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “The south and west of the UK are the areas to watch as they are home to some of the vital routes responsible for transporting large numbers of people to holiday destinations in the West Country – so our advice to anyone heading this way is to take the road As soon as possible on Good Friday, or travel on a completely different day.”

Queues are likely to increase with engineering works on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station over the bank holiday weekend as well.

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2:04 P&O Ferries advised passengers to expect a 10-hour wait this past weekend

Read more: The Dover delays are a lesson in Brexit reality

Port officials hope to avoid more of the chaos of last week

There were chaotic scenes at the port last weekend when thousands of people were reportedly delayed for up to 14 hours.

The delay at port has been blamed on French border officials who did extra checks and stamped British passports post-Brexit.

Port officials said they had conducted an “urgent review” with ferry operators and French authorities in an effort to avoid a repeat of the problems last weekend.

Transport Secretary Richard Holden described last weekend’s conditions in Dover as “unacceptable”.

“I don’t want to see children on buses or families in cars queuing and waiting unnecessarily long periods of time,” he told Sky News.

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