Dover queues – live: Roads ‘extremely busy’ as passengers urged to bring supplies
High volume of traffic builds at port entrance
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Huge queues of holidaymakers are waiting on “extremely busy roads” close to the Port of Dover amid warnings of 90-minute delays.
Cars could be seen snaking from the Kent port to the nearby town after 11am on Good Friday, with lorries thought to be stretching back further.
P&O Ferries and operator DFDS were reporting delays of between 60 and 90 minutes to the port’s entrance while Irish Ferries advised people to allow up to three hours before their travel time.
Drivers have been advised to bring supplies in case they are left waiting for hours, with queues expected to lengthen in the early afternoon.
Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s going to be a busy day, we’re running probably about an hour to an hour and a half to get through border controls at the moment, and we will peak through probably early afternoon, and then it will start to slow down after that.”
Ryanair urges EU commission to protect overflights during French strikes
Ryanair has shared its frustration over the fallout from French air traffic control strikes, urging the EU commission to take action to protect overflights.
It comes as another day of walkouts in France against President Macron’s plans for pension reform forced Air France, easyJet, Ryanair and Vueling of Spain have cancelled some flights to, from, within or over France on Friday.
Ryanair tweeted: “French air-traffic controllers are entitled to go on strike, but if there is going to be cancellations it is French flights that should take these cancellations, not overflights.”
Aer Lingus app and website restored
The website and mobile app of Irish airline Aer Lingus have been restored after going down ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends at Dublin Airport.
Aer Lingus said it expects flights to operate as normal but had previously warned of a risk of delays.
The airline apologised for inconveniencing passengers.
“The Aer Lingus website, mobile app and self-service kiosks are now fully available for customers to check in and manage their bookings,” it said.
Dublin Airport expects 485,000 passengers to pass through its gates between Thursday and Monday.
Dover urges ‘patience’ as waits of a ‘few hours’ in store for Friday
Britons have been urged to be “patient” on Friday as waits of a “few hours” at the port of Dover threaten to scupper weekend travel plans.
Tweeting this afternoon, the port said: “This Easter weekend will be busy. Extra measures are in place and Passenger Champions are ready at #PortofDover to welcome and help you.
“During the busiest travel hours on Friday, there may be a few hours of waiting. Please, be patient. We’re working hard to get you on your way.”
Heathrow regains status as one of top 10 busiest airports in the world
London Heathrow is once again one of the 10 busiest airports in the world after previously falling down the list as a result of the pandemic.
Having tumbled to number 54 in the global rankings after around two years of closure, Heathrow has now jumped back up to 8th place.
This was the biggest movement recorded by any airport, with the London hub seeing 61.6 million passengers pass through in 2022 – a 217 per cent leap on 2021 figures.
More on this story here:
Heathrow regains status as one of world’s top 10 busiest airports
New data shows aviation hub has seen a huge jump in passenger numbers since Covid restrictions were lifted
Update from port of Dover
Tourist traffic is currently free flowing through Dover, according to port authorities amid reports of long queues ahead of the Easter weekend.
Here is their latest update:
Irish authorities issue appeal to motorists ahead of Easter weekend
The Irish Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Siochana have issued an appeal to motorists of the bank holiday weekend.
The organisations said there have been 11 fatalities and 67 serious injuries across the weekend in the last five years.
Bank holidays bring a higher volume of traffic onto the roads across the country, and with this comes an increased risk of collisions.
“All road users are being encouraged to use the roads responsibly,” the RSA said.
“Drivers are urged to slow down, wear seatbelts and not to drive while impaired through alcohol, drugs or fatigue.
“They are also being reminded to watch out for vulnerable road users including cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders and motorcyclists, particularly on rural roads where most fatal collisions take place.”
M5 traffic mired in eight-mile long tailbacks
Delays are now being reported on the M5 near Worcestershire, with reports of eight mile tailbacks causing major hold ups in both directions.
Northbound, delays run from junction 8 for the M50 to junction seven for Worcester and Evesham following an accident earlier in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the southbound delays between junction seven for Worcester and junction eight have been caised by ongoing roadworks along the M50.
Drivers are reportedly facing up to 30 minutes of additional travel times in both directions.
Hundreds of thousands of British travellers failed by Passport Office delays, according to damning MPs’ report
Hundreds of thousands of people were let down by HM Passport Office (HMPO) over the last year, with “unacceptable” delays in receiving their passports, a report from the Public Accounts Committee has concluded.
The scathing document said that HMPO “lacks ambition” to perform better, raises doubts around digital transformation, and suggests there may be knock-on effects for years to come.
Although 95 per cent of customers between January and September 2022 received their travel documents within the advertised 10 weeks, around 360,000 people were forced to wait longer.
More on this story here:
Hundreds of thousands of British travellers failed by Passport Office delays
People were unable to travel for family emergencies and lost money due to ‘frustrating’ situation
Watch: Hundreds of motorists stuck in Dover queues at start of Easter holidays
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