Travellers heading towards Dover could face delays for weeks to come, police have admitted after a weekend of gridlock on the roads.
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The government announced that UK Border Force staff would assist French border police with checks at Dover in a bid to clear the backlog. Heightened French border security checks caused massive disruption for many hours Saturday as some thousands of travelers tried to make the journey into France.
It was initially feared that the disruption would continue until at least Monday morning and possibly into the evening.
The FTA has said that after severe delays on the way to Dover at the weekend, it is “the ideal opportunity to consider the feasibility of the proposed lorry area near Stanford being made available for tourist traffic”.
Dover, just 42 kilometers (26 miles) across the English Channel from the French port of Calais, is a key departure point for ferries to France, while the entrance to the Channel Tunnel is in nearby Folkestone.
The delays have been caused by a tightening of border controls by the French authorities in the wake of the Nice attack.
The London-bound carriageway of the A20 was also closed for hours to enable Kent Police, coastguards and volunteers to distribute water to those stuck in the Dover-bound queues, and to allow stranded motorists access to toilet facilities.
Motorists set to travel to Dover are still being advised to take food and water with them in case of delays.
“I am sure they will understand that any attempt to harm Britain or the lives of the British people will meet with a robust response by the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and their new lady Prime Minister who will undoubtedly be as resolute in defence of the British people as the first lady who held that office”.
A spokesman said: “We sympathise with those trapped in the traffic”.
“Our electronic message signs are warning of the delays all the way up to the Midlands, we are tweeting regularly and have issued press releases to local and national media, and website channels”.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she sympathises with those caught up in the chaos, but said security is “paramount”.
“Once into the port complex 12 lanes of vehicles have to merge into just seven French border booths where every passenger is having a full passport check in light of the recent terror attacks on the continent”.
After days of motorists being left at a standstill as they drove to Dover, traffic at the port has returned to the standard levels expected for the holiday season.
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Sky’s Senior Correspondent David Bowden, in Dover, said: “Traffic arriving at Dover ferry terminal is being merged in a ratio of 20 vehicles to one in favour of cars and trucks entering from the M20 reportedly on the instructions of the Highways Agency”.
