'Frustrated' Dover braces itself for summer getaway

With the start of the peak summer season set to bring millions of drivers on to the roads, there are growing concerns it will lead to traffic chaos at the port of Dover.

The problem looks set to be compounded by new digital border controls still not being fully functional, despite having been rolled out in April.

So, while those in charge of keeping the county moving are hoping they can do just that, some are frustrated that the Kent town too often becomes gridlocked when the summer getaway begins.

Tim Wellard, manager of The Elephant & Hind pub, said it was "absolutely strangling local businesses".

He added he would like to see action from the council.

"I would say pull your finger out and do something about it, because it's an awful situation," said Wellard.

"We rely on the trade in the summer and if it's not coming in there's nothing we can do - even the locals can't get in.

"It's an awful situation. We'd like something done about it as soon as possible," he added.

Aycliffe resident Nikki Bushell said people got stuck in traffic "for hours on end".

"Everyone's trying to get to the same destination, but nothing is put in place for it to work properly," she said.

"We end up with lorries queuing up, which is frustrating for them, but more frustrating for us when we get stuck in it for hours on end."

Kent County Council (KCC) said it had secured the use of a site at Lydden Hill this summer with space for 1,200 cars, in case queues become unmanageable.

Pete Osborne, the Reform UK councillor responsible for highways and transport at KCC, said: "There's going to be cars coming out of our ears.

"Everyone wants to get away, and if the traffic gets bad down at the port we can put them in there [the Lydden Hill site]."

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the port of Dover, previously said: "We've done absolutely everything that we can... in preparing for the summer.

"But there are still a lot of unknowns and uncertainties around how the EES process will affect travel."

Toby Howe, from the Kent Resilience Forum, offered advice to anyone who might find themselves stuck behind the wheel during high temperatures.

"People need to be prepared," he said.

"If you're going to be sitting in a queue in hot weather make sure you've got water, medicines and anything to keep the kids occupied."

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