This weekend, the Port of Dover is gearing up for a significant surge in traffic as the summer holiday season kicks off, bringing the potential for delays due to new European Union border regulations. With schools across England and Wales closing for the summer, thousands of vehicles are anticipated to flow through the port, raising concerns that the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) could slow down travel to the continent.
Currently, French border officials are tasked with manually registering non-EU travelers because of a delay in automated processing facilities caused by technical issues. Although this phase of the EES does not involve collecting biometric data such as fingerprints and photographs, the manual process is expected to extend processing times, possibly leading to congestion at the busy port.
In addition to potential delays at Dover, motoring organizations have cautioned that major roads across the UK, especially those surrounding London and routes to the southwest, are likely to experience heavy traffic. This anticipated congestion comes as millions embark on summer leisure trips, with many opting to vacation domestically. Travelers are influenced by favorable weather forecasts, concerns over flight disruptions, and increasing travel costs.
The Port of Dover has issued advice to passengers, recommending they use designated routes and arrive no sooner than two hours before their ferry departure to avoid unnecessary delays. Meanwhile, airport operators and airlines are also alerting travelers to the possibility of delays as the peak holiday travel period commences.