Heightened French border security checks caused massive disruption for many hours Saturday as some thousands of travelers tried to make the journey into France.
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During the disruption, large tailbacks formed on the A20 and the A2 and there was further waits inside the port itself.
Holidaymakers from the Bristol area are warned that the estimated delay time to catch cross-channel ferries from Dover is still “several hours”.
Some motorists were forced to sleep in their cars as they became stuck in the backlog, caused by a glut of vacation season traffic encountering heightened security checks by French border officials at the port.
The firm said it would talk to British and French authorities to ensure there is “no repetition of this disruption”.
“The port at Dover is a vital link connecting our island to mainland Europe and the governments on both sides of the Channel must act now to protect the millions of people who rely on it”.
France has tightened its border checks in light of the terrorist attacks in Paris back in November, and Nice earlier this month.
The queues reportedly began to build up in Dover around 6am on Saturday and police are saying they could continue on into Monday.
Kent police used helicopters and motorcyclists to provide 11,000 bottles of water to stranded motorists as temperatures hit 20C, while families and lorry drivers abandoned their vehicles to play football and walk along the road side.
Port authorities said French border control booths at Dover had been “seriously understaffed overnight”, claiming coaches were at one point having to wait 40 minutes each for all passengers to be checked in as only one French officer was available.
The delays, which are still taking place in Kent on the south east coast of England, are being attributed to a lack French border staff at French border controls.
“We recognise the extraordinary security pressures that French law enforcement organisations are under at this time and are working closely with them and commercial partners to ensure passengers and hauliers of goods are processed as efficiently as possible on both sides of the channel”. Puissesseau says that he understands that French police have imposed more controls because of terrorism fears, but he “cannot understand” why more security forces weren’t assigned to do the checks.
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Mr Puissesseau told BBC Radio 4’s Today show: “I am very ashamed of this situation”.
