BBC News 23 July 2022 - by Marie Jackson & Tanya Gupta
Long queues of cars have built up at the Port of Dover for a second day, with travellers going to France warned of potential delays of four hours.
About 10,000 cars passing through the port are expected to be processed on Saturday, up 1,500 on Friday's figure.
P&O Ferries told travellers to allow at least three to four hours to clear all security and French border checks.
Officials in Kent have declared a major incident due to the traffic. Some 3,000 lorries are also waiting to cross.
The BBC's Simon Jones says cars had been taking two hours to travel the last mile of the route on Saturday morning and another few hours to get through French passport control before boarding.
The Port of Dover said 13,261 passengers had left on ferries by 09:45 BST, adding: "We are working hard with our partners to get all passengers on their way as quickly as possible."
On Friday, people trying to get away after schools broke up for the summer holidays were held up in six-hour queues, as routes to the ferry terminal were in gridlock.
The port's chief executive said travellers can expect another "very busy day" at Dover.
Asked if there could be five to six-hour delays for people at the port again on Saturday, Doug Bannister told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "It could be. We were expecting that today was going to be a busier day than yesterday."
Delays are also being reported by travellers heading for the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, with traffic crawling on approaching routes.
The Kent Resilience Forum, which brings together local councils and the emergency services, has also said Saturday will be very busy.
P&O Ferries said it would try to get anyone who misses their sailing on to the next available crossing.
Jack Cousens, AA roads policy chief, said drivers should continue to expect disruption and delays on major holiday routes to the south-west, eastern coast and ports of Dover and Folkestone.
He said: "While many have decided to go at the start of the summer holidays, between now and the beginning of September when schools return, each Friday and Saturday will be busy on our roads."
On Friday evening, traffic queues four miles long had formed on the eastbound M2.
The Port of Dover and the UK government blamed the delays on France, saying they did not have enough border staff.
French authorities said an "unforeseeable technical incident" in the Channel Tunnel meant French border police were delayed into Dover - but Eurotunnel rejected this explanation.
Meanwhile, Dover residents have complained about the impact of the traffic disruption in the town.
Writing on social media, one person said: "Surrounding roads were yesterday, and are again today, gridlocked. So while holidaymakers and lorries endured a five-six hour delay yesterday, local people are now facing day two of disruption."
Others said the nearby towns of Hawkinge, Folkestone and Hythe had also been impacted by the traffic.
Seven hours to get on a boat
Brothers Ben and Eric Janousek set off from Tunbridge Wells in Kent at about 05:00 BST on Friday - but told the BBC it took "seven or eight hours to get on a boat" at the Port of Dover.
Ben says they had "very little information" about delays to their trip and relied on BBC News and Twitter to find out what was happening.
It has been "pretty gruelling" and they're "pretty tired now" but he says they are pleased to have made it to France.
The family - who are driving their children for an annual trip to the Czech Republic - are now close to the Belgium border and Ben says they're planning to "enjoy the rest of their trip".
Another family said they moved about a mile and a half in over four hours.
'Entirely avoidable'
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the delays were "unacceptable" and the situation was "entirely avoidable".
She said: "We need action from France to build up capacity at the border to limit any further disruption for British tourists."
But Pierre-Henri Dumont, Republican MP for Calais, said problems at the port would reoccur "because of Brexit".
He told the BBC: "This is an aftermath of Brexit. We have to run more checks than before."
Mr Dumont also said the Port of Dover was "too small" and there were too few kiosks due to lack of space.
Ferry operator P&O Ferries advised passengers to arrive prepared with snacks and water, warning of heavy traffic at border control.
