The start of the summer holidays in England has led to traffic chaos on the roads. Lorry drivers and Britons who wanted to take the ferry on holiday had to wait for hours in the port of Dover. Waiting times of up to six hours challenged people’s patience.
The ferry port declared an emergency because traffic had come to a complete standstill.
The port authorities hold the French authorities responsible. The staffing at the passport control, which takes place on the British side, was insufficient despite months of preparation for the expected rush.
Staff shortages and Brexit
But the background is also Brexit. British holidaymakers entering the European Union are now required to have their passports stamped because they are only allowed to stay in EU member states for 90 days.
In addition to the difficulties in the English Channel, protests once morest high fuel prices were announced on important transport axes in Great Britain.
The protesters wanted to move in extremely slow columns of vehicles on roads such as the M5 north-south axis and the M4 east-west axis to disrupt the flow of traffic. The route is especially important for holidaymakers who are on holiday in their own country. The chaos on the streets is expected to intensify over the weekend.
Travelers from Great Britain are now suffering. There have been significant problems at British airports for weeks. The reason is usually a lack of staff – because of the corona pandemic, employees had been laid off, and now a number of jobs are missing. In addition, employees are repeatedly absent at short notice due to infections. There are also strikes.
