Dover...

[JohnD]

Yes, hopefully, but that relies on our new PM being pro-UK and not pro-EU like Boris.

Johnson is pro-johnson and will say and do anything that he thinks will do him some good.

that's why he whipped the brexers into a fury.

 

[Ihavenojob]

Horrendous queues

 

[Mottie]

Horrendous queues
View attachment 275390

Certainly was. On 16th September 2020 unless the same trucks and the same people in the same order have all met up again two years later.

 

[Ihavenojob]

Certainly was. On 16th September 2020

?

Calais lorry queue 'could clear in 48 hours' after port reopens

A huge backlog of lorries on the M20 could be cleared within 48 hours after the port of Calais reopened fully, P&O says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Mottie]

?

Calais lorry queue 'could clear in 48 hours' after port reopens

A huge backlog of lorries on the M20 could be cleared within 48 hours after the port of Calais reopened fully, P&O says.

www.bbc.co.uk

And again in July 2015! Only this time it was due to strikes in Calais. Same people met up too - what’s the chances of that?

 

[Ihavenojob]

Queues have been a feature in the Kent countryside long before Brexit was thought of.

 

[IT Minion]

Two separate causes of the delays:
- idiot motorists all setting off at the same time;
- petty Frogs deciding not to man all the booths.

But they were manned on Saturday and Sunday, I think they were all manned on Friday. The only reports I've seen is that half the people were late on Thursday.

If Dover can be crippled for a weekend by a long breakfast two days earlier then something has gone very wrong.

 

[JBR]

So the idea that we should "jettison" "EU derived laws" now, when we have not invented similar but different, non-EU derived laws, is pretty silly, right?

Is that what I said? Please read carefully.

 

[IT Minion]

What we have to accept is that we can't send as many people or lorries through Dover as we used to. We have to accept that it simply can't handle it. Which means that other ports will need to be built up and the prices need to rise to reduce demand.

What used to take a full strike is now inevitable when the port is just busy.

 

[JBR]

But they were manned on Saturday and Sunday, I think they were all manned on Friday. The only reports I've seen is that half the people were late on Thursday.

If Dover can be crippled for a weekend by a long breakfast two days earlier then something has gone very wrong.

The reports I read mentioned that the queues quickly reduced when the French eventually decided to man the unmanned booths.

I think I have also mentioned that we should avoid everyone going via Dover. There are other options to spread the load, for example Harwich to the Hook of Holland. Yes, the ferries take longer that way, but I suppose it's a matter of which you prefer: spending a few hours longer on a ferry or spending even more hours sitting in a hot car going nowhere!

 

[ajohn]

The reports I read mentioned that the queues quickly reduced when the French eventually decided to man the unmanned booths.

Didn't you notice the use of the word delayed?

The chunnel had fun too. Just managed 1 day and didn't the next. They generally suggest a 2hr allowance anyway.

Passport stamps don't materialise out of thin air.

It's all so simple for keyboard warriors.

 

[IT Minion]

The reports I read mentioned that the queues quickly reduced when the French eventually decided to man the unmanned booths.

I think I have also mentioned that we should avoid everyone going via Dover. There are other options to spread the load, for example Harwich to the Hook of Holland. Yes, the ferries take longer that way, but I suppose it's a matter of which you prefer: spending a few hours longer on a ferry or spending even more hours sitting in a hot car going nowhere!

They did quickly reduce from 21 hours on Friday to 6 by Sunday. A massive improvement. It's hard to tell how to describe these delays, should it be the day they meant to leave or the day they did leave?

I did a quick search, the Harwich route takes 8 hours and cost £400. Dover had far more options on times and availability, cost £200 and took 2.5 hours. Plus it didn't send you to Holland.

Doubling the cost of your ferry and, of you're going south into Europe, taking an extra 8 hours (4 hours to drive from Holland to Calais roughly) isn't exactly a pain free loss of freedom of movement.

 

[Mottie]

Queues have been a feature in the Kent countryside long before Brexit was thought of.

But the same people and the same vehicles in the same order over a seven year period is impossible…..unless the newspapers are reporting falsely! But they wouldn’t do that to make a point about Brexit, would they………..

 

[Ihavenojob]

But the same people and the same vehicles in the same order over a seven year period is impossible…..unless the newspapers are reporting falsely! But they wouldn’t do that to make a point about Brexit, would they………..

The 2015 article was about the French being on strike-withholding labour, much as they did last week. The point being, the French cause the delays more often than not because they are bloody minded strops, nothing to do with Brexit.

 

[IT Minion]

But the same people and the same vehicles in the same order over a seven year period is impossible…..unless the newspapers are reporting falsely! But they wouldn’t do that to make a point about Brexit, would they………..

In 2020 the volumes were similar. Here is an article complaining about the 2 hour delay and 3 mile!!! tailback.

Simon Calder in Dover: Busiest day since 2019 begins with go-slow

Exclusive: ‘I’m so terribly sorry for all the travellers caught up in the severe disruption yesterday’ – Doug Bannister, CEO, Port of Dover

www.independent.co.uk

Apparently caused by understaffing by the French. So yes, we've seen this before but the impacts are much more significant now. Oh and that was still slowed by Brexit as they needed to check passport expiry dates which previously they normally didn't.