As millions of travellers face delays on roads and rail over the August bank holiday, the boss of the Port of Dover has issued a stark warning that post-Brexit checks could leave the major transport hub paralysed.
Chief executive Doug Bannister said tough incoming EU red tape could leave the port unable to cope with passenger demand beyond Easter next year, as he exclusively revealed what the future of ferry travel from Dover to France will look like.
Dover is the busiest port for passenger traffic in Western Europe, with about 10 million passengers, 2 million cars and 70,000 coaches passing through each year. It is also the only UK port with “juxtaposed” frontier controls: French border officials clear travellers to board ferries for Calais and Dunkirk in northern France while they are still on British soil.
On peak summer days long queues have built up at Dover because of the requirement since Brexit for French Police aux Frontières to check and stamp each UK passport.
The UK is now just weeks away from much more stringent frontier formalities. From November, the EU entry-exit system (EES) will mean every British traveller must have their fingerprints and a facial biometric taken.
For most outbound travellers the new procedures will take place at the arrival airport or port in Spain, France or other Schengen area countries. But motorists and car passengers will be processed before departure for France. The Port of Dover was designed on the basis of free-flowing traffic, with planners never envisaging a time when travellers would have to submit fingerprints.
Millions of pounds are being spent on new infrastructure to try to cope with the bureaucratic demands resulting from the EU withdrawal agreement. From 10 November, British holidaymakers in cars will find themselves sat under a giant canopy, where passengers will provide their fingerprints and facial biometrics on tablet computers.
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