Threats of delays to cross-channel coach traffic returning to the UK came true over the weekend of 18-19 February, with queuing times at border controls in Calais reaching at least seven hours during a period hit by strikes and when large numbers of coaches concluded half-term trips.
It is understood that a much higher volume than normal of UK-bound coaches passed through the French port on Saturday 18 February, with delays mounting into the afternoon. That came as Border Force employees that are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union took three-day strike action in a number of locations, including Calais.
However, a Home Office spokesperson told the BBC that the delays there were not due to strikes. They claimed that all coach booths were open and that the cause was instead the number of coaches passing through. Prior to the PCS industrial action, the government said it had “undertaken extensive planning to minimise disruption,” although it acknowledged that hold-ups were likely.
Trade bodies the Confederation of Passenger Transport and RHA had both warned coach operator members of the potential for long delays at Calais during the PCS action. The union has pledged to continue such steps until a pay agreement for its members employed by Border Force is reached.
Mainstream media images showed a large queue of coaches at Calais on Saturday 18 February. Most were private hire vehicles, but among the jam was at least one FlixBus example on a scheduled service. The delays were reported to have led many coach drivers to run out of working time, compounding the issue for operators.
On the same day, ferry operators DFDS and P&O Ferries had likewise warned of worsening delays at border controls and cautioned that travellers should bring food and drink with them owing to a lack of facilities in Calais. Irish Ferries warned of “longer wait times.”
P&O advised via Twitter that it was holding ferries if needed to ensure that the maximum number of coaches permissible could board, but some schools reported via social media that their groups had spent much of the day waiting at Calais.
