French border IT failure blamed for Christmas getaway delays at Dover
Cross-Channel ferries and Eurotunnel hit by technical issues on exit checks
The Port of Dover said the disruption lasted for several hours,
Kelvin Atkins / Shutterstock
Thousands of Christmas travellers heading to mainland Europe faced long delays on Saturday after an IT failure at French border controls caused queues at the Port of Dover and disruption at the Channel Tunnel.
Problems began before peak departure times, as French border systems experienced technical issues during exit checks. Traffic quickly backed up at Dover, with vehicles at times at a standstill on approach roads and inside the port during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The Port of Dover said the disruption lasted for several hours, easing shortly before 15:00 GMT on Saturday, when traffic was reported to be free-flowing again.
Around 30,000 cars are expected to pass through the port between Friday and Sunday.
Eurotunnel also reported significant delays at its Folkestone terminal, with waiting times of up to two and a half hours for cars and around one hour for freight traffic. It said the disruption was linked to high seasonal demand, compounded by earlier border control issues.
Congestion extended beyond the port itself on Saturday, with long queues forming on surrounding roads, including routes linking to the M20. Local transport services were affected, with some bus routes temporarily unable to serve the Eastern Docks because of traffic conditions.
On Sunday morning, the Port of Dover said there were no delays at the buffer zone and that traffic was free-flowing through to border control.
Despite the improvement, port authorities continued to advise passengers not to arrive more than two hours before their scheduled sailing.
Ferry operators said passengers who missed their booked crossing because of the delays were transferred to the next available sailing.
Drivers heading to the port are also asked to remain on the main approach roads, the A20 and A2, to reduce disruption for Dover residents during the final weekend before Christmas.
The disruption came as motoring organisations warned of record traffic levels across the UK in the run-up to Christmas.
National Highways said it had removed as many roadworks as possible but advised travellers to allow extra time, with heavy traffic expected to continue as the festive getaway reaches its peak.
