The Port of Dover has formalised plans for processing coach and other traffic during what it expects will be a “demanding” summer peak period from 18 July.
Holiday-related throughput at the gateway will be increased by travellers to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which take place between 26 July and 11 August. That global event is expected to generate an uplift in usual demand at Dover of 30%.
The Port previously told routeone that it was confident in the resilience of summer preparations, and now says that it is “working closely” with the coach industry and ferry operators to spread demand during peak times.
Across the summer, the dedicated coach processing facility on the approach to the terminal will be used to conduct advanced passenger information checks. Five coach positions will be maintained at the French border, and hour-by-hour projections of overall throughput will be shared with partners.
Trade bodies representing the coach industry have been advised by Dover that coaches should not arrive at the port more than three hours ahead of their sailing time. If they do so, they will be turned away.
That is because of construction underway to support the installation of infrastructure relating to the Schengen area EU Entry/Exit System. Port of Dover Chief Executive Doug Bannister says that such efforts are “an added challenge” to compound the summer peak.
“The effect of these works that are required to house the process means that our buffer zone, where traffic waits for French border clearance, will have a reduced capacity,” adds Mr Bannister. He notes that the Port has added as much other space as possible to compensate.
AI technology provided by supplier Entopy has been commissioned that Dover says can predict future traffic in 15-minute intervals two weeks in advance at over 95% accuracy. It is being used to plan resources at the gateway.
UK Coach Operators Association Managing Director Peter Bradley acknowledges that the Port is working closely with the sector in communicating procedures for what is expected to be a very busy summer.
Mr Bradley adds that while the three-hour stipulation for coach arrivals may not be ideal for some operators, the gateway is under “enormous pressure” to accommodate overall demand.
“The advice to coach operators that we would give is that once coaches get near to the port and are early, they stop somewhere close by and continue once they are under three hours of their scheduled arrival time,” he explains.
