More border staff, increased coach lanes and greater use of new technology are needed to combat congestion at the port of Dover.
The three-point plan was put forward by coach trade body the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) ahead of the peak Easter bank holiday weekend.
Amid speculation that a peak time cap could be imposed, the association stressed that it would oppose any restrictions on coach numbers, as an “unacceptable and backward step”.
Instead, the CPT is calling for “adequate resourcing and proper preparation” ahead of the weekend and other forthcoming busy periods.
The proposals were outlined in a letter to the port in response to recent delays experienced by all road users, in particular thousands of students and holidaymakers who travelled by coach last weekend.
CPT chief executive Graham Vidler said: “Coach is the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way of moving large numbers of people across the Channel. Coach passengers should be welcomed and prioritised, rather than being made to wait hours due to unacceptable delays.
“This is why the Port of Dover needs to work with all parties to properly resource border control checks and the efficient embarkation of people and vehicles on to ferries.”
CPT is proposing the following solutions, so that all vehicles can access the port without restrictions. These involve:
- Properly resourcing the border controls by providing more UK and French border staff to speed up passport checks.
- More coach priority lanes on the approach to the Port.
- Encouraging Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries to introduce a driver ‘app’ like DFDS, which enables the provision of advance information. DFDS’ app reduces the onboarding time for coaches by around 15 minutes per vehicle.