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 feeds 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.
Summer 2025 getaway: KMRF has written to communities letting them know when Operation Brock will be in place.
KMRF statement dated 4 August 2025
A Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) spokesperson said: “All partners of the KMRF work very hard to try to keep local roads, including in Dover town centre, moving during exceptionally busy times. This weekend (1 to 3 August) saw an exceptional number of tourists heading to Europe from both the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, so trained officers were on the ground to help visitors and residents.
“Operation Brock and TAP did their job by managing freight traffic away from Dover town, but the situation in Dover town centre was affected by problems within the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel that were beyond the control of partners of the KMRF.
“The deployment of the Operation Brock barrier was formally reviewed on 4th August, as we committed to remove it as soon it is not needed.
“Extremely high passenger numbers are expected again this weekend (8 to 10 August), and in order to maximise road space and prioritise tourist traffic accessing the ports, the barrier will remain in place so we can be ready to manage freight safely away from Dover town centre on the M20.
“Lorry drivers must pass through the Brock barrier to ensure they get a permit to allow them into the Port of Dover during the busiest times. No permit, no access to the Port of Dover.
“We would also like to remind drivers heading to Europe through Kent that they should follow local road signs rather than navigation services, to ensure everyone gets where they need to be.”
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.
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
- DDC’s Community Team works to support the community, make contact by emailing: community@dover.gov.uk
- For out of hours see our 'Contact us' page