In connection with the beginning of school holidays in England, there was a peak of trips to the continent. Some drivers spent a dozen hours or so last weekend in traffic jams until check-in. French and British officials blame each other for the delay.
When the British went on vacation on Friday and Saturday, cars and trucks blocked the roads to the Folkestone Canal Tunnel and the Dover ferry ports.
Some drivers waited several hours or several hours to enter the ferry or tunnel, and the British and French governments shifted responsibility for the problem.
This happened despite the suspension of truck inspections. Because of the high temperatures, local authorities distributed water and food to people trapped in cars.
UK: Situation improved on Sunday
On Sunday, British media reported that the situation in the port of Dover had improved, with drivers on Friday and Saturday having to wait five or six hours to board the ferry.
According to port authorities, yesterday (24 July) traffic was almost normal, although ferry operator P&O Ferries still recommends arriving at least two hours before the ferry’s scheduled departure time.
The critical situation was in Folkestone, where there is an entrance to the canal tunnel.
According to British media, some drivers waited in traffic jams for up to twelve hours, and there are sections where cars travel at speeds of less than 10 km / h.
Britain blames France
The situation on the Anglo-French border coincided with the election of the head of the Conservative Party. for inheritance after Boris Johnson – Hence the office of the Prime Minister of Great Britain – the rival former chancellor feathery sonak And the Minister of Foreign Affairs Liz Gears.
Both accused France of traffic jams. The UK government said French authorities had not found enough border workers to check passports. Supporters of Brexit have a similar view.
Meanwhile, the French Minister of Transport said Clement Pune France was reportedly not responsible for the additional border controls introduced by Brexit.
France denies the accusations, saying that the main problem is the end of free movement of people. “France is not responsible for Britain’s exit from the European Union”, advertiser Clement Bon.
Britain’s exit from the European Union is to blame
Before Brexit, border guards could check a traveler’s passport, if they had doubts about the legality of a person crossing the border, they now had to record every border crossing, which translates to longer checks.
Experts and port authorities in Dover point to Brexit as the main cause of the giant traffic jams. Observers note that the British had several years to prepare for the new reality, while doing nothing.
This summer is the first summer to see unlimited travel since all restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted since the UK left the European Union.
Harbor Boss Dover Doug Banister At first he blamed a shortage of staff at the French border agency for the massive traffic jams, but eventually admitted the problem lay with post-Brexit regulations.
French politician Pierre-Henri Dumontwhose constituency includes the French port of Calais, described the travel chaos as “the fallout from Brexit”.
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