Urgent warning to drivers after RAC breakdown crews WON’T rescue motorists stranded near Dover because of queues
DRIVERS stranded in nightmarish queues at Dover WON'T be rescued by the RAC if they break down this weekend.
Roads around the Kent port have been in "meltdown" for days as families head away on summer breaks - with some claiming they waited 30 hours to board ferries.
But those who face engine problems in the gridlock over the coming days won't be able to call for help.
The RAC has warned members that recovery trucks can't make it through the traffic.
Instead, it's expected that National Highways officials will have to step in, the Telegraph reports.
The Government-owned agency, which is responsible for England's motorways and A-roads, says it will provide a free recovery service to drivers heading for Dover or the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone.
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The RAC's Simon Williams said: "Drivers need to travel prepared and cars need to be in good shape.
"They should expect the worst as there's a high probability of an increase in breakdowns.
"It'll be impossible for us to reach people in some cases as we will also be stuck in queues and can't drive on the hard shoulder."
National Highways said it would step in and provide “statutory recoveries” should cars break down.
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A spokesman said: "We have detailed plans in place to ensure that any incidents can be dealt with safely and swiftly."
Brits heading away via Kent have faced chaos for weeks, although the situation drastically worsened last Saturday.
Desperate families were forced to go to the toilet on the side of the road. There were also reports some holiday-makers passed out in the heat.
Queues are so heavy it's taken up to six hours to move just 75 meters.
A ramp up of post-Brexit border checks and French authorities' understaffing of checkpoints in Dover have been blamed for the hold-ups.
Earlier this month, a "critical incident" was declared at the port, with travellers told to arrive six hours early.
TRAFFIC MISERY
The AA says there'll be a huge amount of traffic on the roads around the country on both Saturday and Sunday.
The first-ever 'amber alert' has been issued for queues.
It's expected to be particularly bleak between 11am and 3pm.
The worst of the delays are expected along the M5, A303 and A30 for those heading towards Devon and Cornwall.
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The south west and western sections of the M25 could see delays, as well as the Bristol M4/M5 junction.
Those driving along the M6, M42, M1 and M62 are also likely to face problems.
