The Passenger Task Force has been set up to minimize waiting times and avoid further disruption for people traveling on either side of the border. The group will meet weekly throughout the summer to avoid a repeat of last Saturday’s scenes, when families reported being stuck at Dover Port for up to 11 hours due to heavy congestion. There is a row over who is to blame for the huge queues at both Dover and the Eurotunnel entrance in Folkestone, which has been dubbed the ‘hotspot of holiday hell’. The UK has said there are not enough French border guards on duty to process British travellers, while the French say Brexit means passport checks are taking longer. Authorities from both countries met this week to discuss preparations being made to avoid further disruption, which includes extra traffic enforcement to keep roads passable around Dover and Folkestone. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:39 Traffic heading into Dover harbour The task force is part of a package of measures to ease travel disruption after the start of the summer holidays was marred by rail strikes, flight cancellations and border delays. The AA has issued an ‘orange’ traffic warning for this weekend – the first time it has issued the warning earlier. Roads are expected to be “extremely busy” across Britain due to a combination of factors including rail strikes, the start of the English Football League season, the Commonwealth Games and the summer holidays. To ensure people can still get to the Commonwealth Games easily, the government said emergency measures have been put in place, including extra capacity on running rail lines and on coaches for spectators. Ministers said flight cancellations have also recently fallen to 2019 levels, after slot rules were relaxed to help airlines make sensible decisions about their schedules. Read more: People should go on holiday to Portugal to avoid Dover queues, says minister Liz Truss blames France for ‘horrendous’ queues The government has faced criticism for not doing enough to control the chaos, with authorities in Kent calling for more money to tackle the disorder. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chief Minister for Resilience Kit Malthouse said: “I am working with ministers and officials across government, as well as our partners and industry, to assess and mitigate any disruption, including any knock on effects from the railway lines. strikes. “We have already taken action and are continuing to work with the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel and the French Government, Highways, local police and the Kent Resilience Forum to minimize disruption to traffic, as well as airport operators us to avoid last minute cancellations. , and we will continue to take all necessary steps to help people travel easily.”
