Cross-channel traffic disruption
Dover town is significantly impacted when there are high volumes of cross-channel traffic and freight, or during delays caused by weather, strikes or unexpected disruption.
We know this can make it difficult for residents to go about their daily lives. For businesses in the district it can have a detrimental effect on trade, particularly those in Dover town.
We understand how frustrating this can be and the impact on those living and working here, as well as for those wishing to visit our beautiful district.
Dover District Council (DDC) has repeatedly raised its concerns with the Government about investing in Kent’s road network and improving the road infrastructure around Dover to help reduce the impact and keep traffic moving.
Community impact and support
DDC is not responsible for maintaining or running the road network nor traffic enforcement which falls under National Highways, Kent Highways and Kent Police respectively.
However, Dover District Council works closely with the community to understand the impact on residents and businesses when the town is affected by disruptive periods.
The Council fed this back to the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF), which is a partnership of organisations, including DDC, working to improve resilience and ensure a co-ordinated response to emergencies that affect communities in the county.
As a result, KMRF wrote to residents and businesses ahead of the summer getaway with useful advice, dates of expected busy periods, details of how traffic is being managed and where to find updates and information.
Bookings over summer 2024 were at their highest levels in a number of years, but despite the pressure on the ports and road networks, local roads were kept clear to enable communities to go about their daily business.
KMRF has once again written to residents and businesses, setting out how the summer went, traffic levels and details on the upcoming implementation of the EU Entry Exit System.
Entry Exit System (EES)
The European Union (EU) has delayed the introduction of its Entry Exit System (also known as EES). While we await further clarity on when the checks will be brought in, we continue to work closely with our partners to ensure the needs of our communities are heard.
EES is an automated system for registering travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries and will require travellers passing through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel on their way to Europe to register facial and fingerprint scans.
Processing people through the system will naturally take much longer than it does now. This could lead to significant delays and DDC is pressing the Government to take urgent action to address this.
For more details on what KMRF is doing and details on how to get in touch regarding EES please see the letter above.
Useful links and local contacts
In the event of traffic disruption in the town, here are links to local services should you need to check if there are any changes.
Traffic
Public transport
To keep up to date with any service disruption see:
Health services
Education
Waste
If there are problems with waste collections due to traffic, please see:
Community