UMVA has learned that a significant development has eased travel congestion at the Port of Dover, where drivers were previously facing delays of up to three hours due to stringent checks.
The French police have temporarily relaxed their enforcement of the EU's entry and exit system (EES) checks, a move that will greatly alleviate wait times at the border. This decision comes as a huge relief to passengers and motorists who were bracing for lengthy delays.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Police Aux Frontieres has suspended the EES checks and reverted to traditional 'wet-stamping' of passports in a bid to ease queues. This change means travellers will be processed normally and will not have to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics.
The EES system, which requires third-country nationals to register their passport at their first point of arrival into the Schengen area, was causing significant delays due to the absence of self-registration machines in the UK. Travelers were initially expected to undergo additional checks, which included providing biometric data.
With temperatures soaring to just under 30°C in Dover, the relaxation of EES checks is a welcome respite for motorists waiting to board ferries to the continent. The move is expected to significantly reduce border processing time and allow for a smoother travel experience.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that around 3.4 million journeys are expected to be undertaken on Sunday, with a further 3.1 million trips on bank holiday Monday. The RAC has warned that six in ten drivers were not planning a leisure trip over the weekend, with just five per cent citing rising fuel costs as a concern.
The worst affected roads for congestion are likely to be the M1, M25, M5, M6, with anticlockwise journeys on the London orbital motorway expected to take twice as long as on an average weekend. However, the easing of EES checks is expected to help mitigate some of this congestion.
