Dover: Long queues as ferry services to Calais and Dunkirk disrupted by weather and ship shortages
The delays were blamed on a shortage of ferries and bad weather, following the suspension of P&O services.
Sunday 3 April 2022 05:58, UK
Ferry passengers heading to France have faced long queues amid disruption to cross-Channel services from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk.
The delays were blamed on a shortage of ferries and bad weather on Friday and overnight, as well as measures implemented to control the movement of HGVs in the area.
Capacity at the Port of Dover was already under strain following the suspension of P&O services, with three of the company's vessels at berth there.
The port said the main approach roads were "very busy" on Saturday morning and urged passengers to factor in extra time for their journey.
Dover MP Natalie Elphicke blamed the delays in part on P&O Ferries and warned the disruption is expected to last for the next few days.
"The traffic disruption caused by P&O's actions is very serious. Coupled with adverse weather conditions and the Easter get-away traffic the situation has become severe. This can be expected to continue for the next few days," she said.
The problems have caused "unacceptable impact" locally, she said.
The situation was made worse after a DFDS ship hit a berth in Dunkirk on Thursday evening due to high winds and had to be taken out of service.
The ship is currently being repaired and is expected to return to service on Monday or Tuesday next week, DFDS Ferries said in a statement.
The company said this morning that all of its services were affected.
Another ship on the route is currently being refitted and will only be available from Monday.
DFDS Ferries said it expects its full fleet to be back in service from early next week.
Congestion caused by tourists travelling to Kent for an Easter getaway was also said to be contributing to the jams.
Drivers have been forced to wait for hours to board ferries after measures were triggered to control the movement of HGVs in the area.
Parts of M20 being used to park lorries
A section of the M20 is being used to park lorries, leading to congestion, with miles of backed up stationary vehicles.
As part of Operation Brock, lorries heading to Dover are allowed to use one side of the M20 while all other traffic is restricted to a contraflow system on the opposite side.
The traffic management system was implemented to manage lorries displaced by the lack of P&O services amid an ongoing dispute about the company's decision to sack 800 British workers.
DFDS Ferries advised customers to travel to the port of Dover and check-in as they normally would, saying they will then be shipped on the next available sailing.
The main roads approaching the port are currently very busy, the Port of Dover said, advising passengers to allow extra time for their journeys and check with their operator for details.
Local residents were told to avoid driving through the area where possible.
Bus operator Stagecoach said its local services were experiencing significant disruption due to the traffic stretching into the town centre.
Travellers missing their journeys
Many of those stuck in the queues have missed the ferry service they had booked but operators have been letting them on to later journeys.
Follow the Daily podcast on
Nick Gale, a teacher from Kent who is travelling with his family to Calais for a trip to Amsterdam, said they have been stuck for "over two hours" and missed the ferry they were booked on.
"No communication at all from port staff. Policeman said it was basically the perfect storm, less ferries... plus bad weather and (the) P&O issue," he said.
British-based Ukrainians Oleg Kupin and Eugene Chernov said they expected to miss their slot.
They spoke to Sky News as they were heading to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with a truck full of aid, including drones, thermal telescopes and radios to be used in rescue missions.
"It's frustrating and we hope that it will be resolved as soon as possible because we need it," Mr Kupin said. "Our country, our people need it."
Another traveller who had reached the front of the queue told Sky News it had taken an hour to move half a mile.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "We are aware of queues at Dover, and the Kent Resilience Forum and local partners are working to minimise any disruption by deploying temporary traffic management measures as standard.
"This has been caused by a number of factors, including severe weather in the Channel."