'ABSOLUTE CARNAGE'
Easter holiday chaos as families stuck in 15 HOUR Port of Dover queues as holiday-makers STILL stuck in queues since 4am
FAMILIES have been stuck for 15 hours at the Port of Dover in Easter holiday chaos.
Holiday-makers are still facing huge delays today after queueing up since 4am.
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Kids were left physically ill after being stuck on coaches as the port declared a critical incident in Easter holiday chaos.
Problems started on Friday night following bad weather and "lengthy" hold-ups at French border controls - with people voicing their frustrations as they faced huge queues into today.
Dozens of coaches were stranded at the crossing in miles of queues, leaving those on board without food or drink.
One coach driver, who had 48 school children on board, said some were falling ill after not eating for more than 15 hours.
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The children, from Swansea, were heading to Italy for a week-long ski trip but faced long waits at the Channel crossing.
Coach driver Robert Kordula, 51, said port staff had been absent with travellers left without information.
He said: “There wasn’t enough food and the toilets ran out of toilet paper. We’ve heard nothing all night and it’s been more than 12 hours since we arrived at the port.
“The kids are not doing very well. Some of them are being physically sick as they have not had a substantial meal for around 15 hours.”
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One mum, who has a daughter trying to get away on a school trip, said she has been stuck since 4am.
Natasha Tranchant at 4.30pm: "Absolutely NOT ideal and busy is an understatement.
"My daughter is on a school trip and has been stuck on a coach since 4am this morning at the port of with still no confirmed departure time!"
Rosie, a woman travelling with her family, told : "It's supposed to be an easy overnight trip, but it's absolute carnage and there's no excuse for it at all."
Meanwhile, Conservative MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke tweeted: "Incredibly disappointing to see French border control problems once again adding to traffic mayhem just as families are trying to getaway for the Easter holidays."
And one frustrated coach driver Robert Kordula, who has a party of 48 kids from Swansea hoping to get away to Italy for a week, said some kids had not been able to eat a substantial meal for more than 15 hours.
He said: "Some of them are being physically sick as they have not had a substantial meal for around 15 hours due to the journey down here on top of the wait time."
And he added: "There wasn't enough food and the toilets ran out of toilet paper."
Dozens of coaches were left stuck in the chaos, with one school heading to a skiing trip tweeting P&O Ferries, saying: "Please can you confirm when those coaches who were sent away from the port will be invited back?
"Our passports were scanned at 2.30am after long delays and we now have over 40 students and five staff stuck in a car park with no facilities."
And one mum said her son has been stuck for nearly 12 hours.
She tweeted: "My son and his school have had almost 11 hours wait and still not at passport control yet.
"Then a 14 hour drive to Austria when they do get to France.
"More information is needed about how you propose to get things moving now. Your updates are good for nothing."
Another holiday-maker said: "We arrived at Dover just after 8:30pm last night, it's easily going to be 15 hours by the time we get on a ferry."
The chaos has slowly started to move on since Friday night but travellers still face lengthy delays.
Operators and DFDS Seaways first reported problems to ferry and coach services.
The port said high volumes of coach traffic were due to the Easter holidays.
Food and drink is being provided to travellers as some say they've been there for over 10 hours.
'DEEPLY FRUSTRATING'
Just before 9am today a spokesman said: "Coach waiting time is still several hours, but tourist cars are getting through OK."
The port added it was "deeply frustrated" by the situation which had still unfolded despite "considerable pre-planning".
In a statement, they said this morning: "The Port of Dover is deeply frustrated by last night's and this morning's situation and particularly so on behalf of all the ferry operators' coach passengers who have had to endure such a long wait at the port.
"Whilst freight and car traffic was processed steadily regardless of the additional challenging weather conditions and high seasonal volumes, coach traffic suffered significant delays due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume."
The port added: "Despite considerable pre-planning with our ferry operators, border agency partners and the Kent Resilience Forum and the success of similar plans for processing substantial numbers of coaches during the most recent half term period, the additional coach bookings taken by ferry operators for Easter, has impacted operations for the port.
"Through the ferry operators and the port, food and drink has been provided to those coach passengers caught up in the border queues.
"We offer sincere apologies for the prolonged delays that people have endured and continue to work with all of our partners to get all passengers on their way as quickly as possible."
DFDS Seaways said the queues yesterday were as a result of bad weather and high volumes of families.
A spokesperson for the operator said: "The queues at Dover today have been as a result of bad weather causing delays to sailings, combined with high volumes of traffic, and particularly coach groups.
"DFDS is working to keep passengers up to date via its website and social media channels, and is transporting passengers on the next available sailing once they have checked in.
"It has also been working with coach operators to speed up the check in process for coach passengers."
Both DFDS and P&O have been publishing updates on Twitter.
DFDS tweeted this morning: "Severe delays at French Border Controls, coaches to be diverted to a secure waiting area.
"When availability, coach drivers will be contacted to make their way to port.
"DFDS Check-in is free flowing, coaches to be transferred to the first available sailing."
P&O Ferries said: "We apologise for the wait times for coaches sailing from Dover.
"As soon as you are through passport control, you will be on the next crossing to Calais."
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On Friday morning, at 11.18am, the company tweeted that coach traffic was "very busy" with "120 minutes wait" at border controls.
It comes after families heading abroad during the Easter holidays were warned of travel chaos due to strike action on Friday.
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