South East prepares for Easter bank holiday weekend travel

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More than 12,000 cars are expected to pass through the Port of Dover over the Easter weekend

People across the South East travelling over the long Easter weekend have been warned they could face delays amid a surge in traffic on roads and in ports and airports.

More than 12,000 cars and 450 coaches are expected to travel through the Port of Dover in Kent between Good Friday and Easter Monday, with nearly half of those travelling on Friday, 18 April.

Meanwhile, drivers could continue to face issues on the M25, with delays expected near Godstone and Gatwick Airport, which itself could be hit by strike action.

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, said he "wasn't anticipating any challenges" with travel over the Easter weekend and that it was "well prepared".

'Well prepared'

Mr Bannister said: "It will be busy but in context on a busy summer day we have about 10,000 cars travelling.

"We are well prepared, we have all of our processes and manpower in place and outside of any unforeseen circumstances we are ready."

Many passengers faced travel chaos at the Port of Dover in Easter 2023, but Mr Bannister stressed that new infrastructure and processes were in place to combat these issues.

Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister

Gatwick Airport also said its busiest day would be Good Friday, adding that its busiest destinations over the Easter period included Malaga, Barcelona and Dubai.

Nick Williams, head of passenger operations, said the airport had "got off to a strong start to the year" and was "looking forward to a busy Easter period".

But strike action from members of the Unite union could lead to disruption to travel as workers from airport firm Red Handling are set to walk out in a dispute.

A spokesperson for Unite said baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for airlines Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace would be affected, amounting to about 50 flights a day.

Strike action would begin on Good Friday and would last until the early hours of Tuesday, 22 April.

'Plan in advance'

On the M25, drivers passing through Cobham service station on Wednesday shared their tips for travelling as they made their journeys.

Alex Bowler, who was heading to Snowdonia in Wales with friend Connor Ross, told Radio Surrey the key to their journey was "lots of coffee to get us through".

The pair, 24, from Horsham in West Sussex, hoped the roads would be quieter once they got to Wales, with Mr Ross adding: "It's best not to stress about it and just relax, wake up early and drive, and plan in advance."

Alex Bowler, left, and Connor Ross headed to Snowdonia on their Easter getaway

Transport analytics company Inrix predicted delays of more than an hour on the 35-mile (56.3km) stretch of the M25, from junction 7 for Gatwick Airport to junction 16 for the M40 on Thursday.

On Good Friday, the lengthiest hold-ups are expected to be between 11:00 BST and 13:00.

Those planning to travel by car are being advised to set off as early as possible in the morning or later in the day when traffic has eased.

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