Holidaymakers Facing A Summer Of Disruptions

HOLIDAYMAKERS will be hit with a summer of weekend travel disruptions after lengthy queues in Dover were finally reduced yesterday following days of gridlocked roads.

- Jan Disley

Chaotic scenes of bumper-to-bumper traffic stretching for miles marred the beginning of the great summer getaway as schools broke up.

While Dover disruption had cleared by yesterday morning, the AA branded Folkestone the new “hotspot of holiday hell” with people facing lengthy delays on the approach to the Eurotunnel crossing.

The motoring organisation said the long waits had “fallen considerably” by late afternoon but raised concerns that the congestion could be repeated over and over this summer.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said yesterday: “This has been an incredible weekend of traffic jams into Dover and Folkestone, and holidaymakers will have been frustrated and angry at the delays.

“Good progress has been made throughout the day and the number of those waiting for more than five hours before reaching the check-in desk has fallen considerably.

Gridlock

"However, we are concerned that we could be in for a repeat of this congestion across the summer.