With the Calais situation getting worse, here are some tips to avoid the queues, and no, not shoot the Idiots.

TMW THOUGHTS

I am sorry, but what the hell are the French doing, if this were any other country in the world, anyone trying to illegally gain access to another country by crossing the border without permission would be be arrested, sent back or shot, Now I am not saying that we should shoot them, but something has got to be done.

The vast sums of money involved in keeping the lorries backed up is now running into hundreds of millions of pounds, at £100 per hour per truck, it can soon build up.

Why are these illegal immigrants not being dealt with on the French side, surely they are illegal in France, so why are they not being taken into custody, processed and sent home, why, well, they French just don't care, they seem to think that if they can lose a few by them coming here, it's less for them to worry about, it seems like they are happy to let them come here, rather than deal with it.

Well NO, I care little if the French like us or not, these immigrants are breaking the law in France, FACT, the French are seemingly doing little to stop it, FACT, it is costing the UK haulage industry Millions every day, and not just us, what about those countries exporting to the UK, they are being hit too, it is about time that fines and compensation should be awarded to the British drivers and companies that are out of pocket.

But it is not just the drivers and associated companies, what about the high street businesses, the shops that can not get their stock, like fresh flowers, our local news had a report where shops were having to close because of a lack of stock and refunds having to be given due to no items to supply.

The French need to get of their baguette filled arses and do something about it, because believe me, if they don't, they will continue to invade the tunnel daily, until they either succeed, or there is a lot more deaths, neither will be acceptable.

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Information and links for anyone affected by travel disruption at Calais. This will be updated as the situation develops.

Border controls in France.

Calais situation: 30 July 2015

There is an ongoing possibility of disruption to cross-Channel services as a result of industrial action and migrant activity in and around Calais.

Check online with your chosen operator and plan your journey to avoid disruption

If you are in the UK and have a booking, check online with your operator for more information before you leave and consider making alternative arrangements if necessary.

If you are in returning to the UK from abroad and you have a booking, check online with your operator for more information. You may also wish to consider alternative routes for returning to the UK.

General travel advice

Cross-Channel passengers travelling from Dover/Folkestone to the Port of Calais are advised to check online with their chosen operator and plan their journey to avoid disruption. You may also want to follow local radio for travel updates.

Cross-Channel passengers planning to travel through Calais are advised to check online with their travel operator. Information about alternative routes and operators is available via this interactive map.

If you require emergency assistance, emergency services in France are contacted by dialling 112. If you require assistance from the British Embassy, please contact 00 33 (0)1 44 51 31 00.

Compensation and exchanging tickets

If you need to exchange travel tickets, contact your operator. For advice on compensation and your rights, visit the ABTA website.

Read guidance on EU Regulation 1177/2010, which establishes the rights of all maritime passengers to assistance in the case of delayed or cancelled departures.

Contacts for cross-Channel operators

Dover/Folkestone – Calais/Coquelles cross-Channel operators

DFDS Seaways also operates out of Amsterdam, Dieppe and Dunkirk:

• Twitter @DFDSUKUpdates
• telephone:
  • Calais, Dunkirk and Amsterdam +44 (0) 344 902 0265 and +44 (0) 871 882 1777 for sailing information
  • Dieppe +44 (0) 844 576 8836, INT 0800 650 100 and +44 (0) 844 576 8836 for sailing information

P&O Ferries also operates out of Rotterdam and Zeebrugge:

• Twitter @POferries for ferry updates
• telephone +44 (0) 800 13 0030

Eurotunnel operates from Coquelles:

• Twitter @LeShuttle
• telephone: +44 (0) 8444 63 0000 (24 hour pre-recorded travel information), +44 (0) 8443 35 35 35, +33 (0) 810 63 03 04

Other cross-Channel operators and routes

Details of alternative routes for returning to the UK. Check availability and book ahead before considering travelling to another port of exit.

Brittany Ferries operates out of Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Roscoff, St Malo, Bilbao and Santander:

• Twitter @Brittanyferries
• telephone +44 (0) 1752 648 637

Condor Ferries operates out of St Malo and Cherbourg:

• Twitter @CF_Travel_News
• telephone +44 (0) 1202 207 216, St Malo +44 (0) 825 165 463, Cherbourg +33 (0) 233 88 44 88

Stena operates out of Hook of Holland:

• Twitter @StenalineUK
• telephone +44 (0) 8447 70 70 70

Additional contacts

• Port of Dover, Twitter @Port_of_Dover
• Foreign travel advice: France
• British embassy in Paris

Road traffic information

UK road traffic

• Highways England traffic information or on Twitter: @HighwaysSEAST

France road traffic

• autoroutes.fr
• Bison Fute

What the government is doing (SOD ALL -ATM)

We are working closely with the French government to seek an urgent return of normal services. We have also increased security and Border Force operations at the port.

We continue to closely monitor the situation and will update travel advice accordingly.

The government’s COBR emergency committee has met to discuss the situation in Calais and review implementation of our contingency plans.

Law and order in and around Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities, but the UK continues to work with its French counterparts to strengthen the security of the border to stop migrants entering the UK illegally.

Border Force put its well-rehearsed and practised contingency plans into operation to ensure security is maintained during this period of disruption to cross-Channel services and as they return to normal. 

We have deployed additional Border Force staff and sniffer dogs in northern France as well as bolstering screening checks at Dover for both tourist and freight vehicles. This is on top of already rigorous border controls, which include 100% freight screening at Coquelles and Calais.

The government:

• has agreed to additional funding of up to £7 million towards increasing security at the Channel Tunnel railhead at Coquelles
• is providing funding to bolster the security and infrastructure of ports in northern France and Belgium – this includes a £2 million upgrade of detection technology, a £1 million extension of dog searching capacity and an additional £12 million to reinforce security at the juxtaposed border
• has installed new fencing in Calais to enhance security at the port and help protect traffic on the road leading to it
• has announced there will be a new secure area for freight at Calais port
• is tackling the roots of this problem by increasing joint intelligence work with the French to target the organised crime gangs behind people smuggling
• has granted an exceptional temporary relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours rules for drivers delayed due to Operation Stack in Kent

More than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally were prevented in 2014 to 2015 – more than double the previous year.

New petition urges Schools to start teaching driving and driving standards in school - GREAT IDEA....

• Experts say 400 lives could be saved by teaching youngsters to drive from an earlier age
• People urged to sign the petition at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/104632

Major motoring organisations and experts are backing a petition urging the Government to include driving on the school curriculum. The petition has been launched in a bid to help cut the high number of accidents involving newly qualified drivers on the UK’s roads. 

Launched by Young Driver, the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 driving lessons, the petition already has backing from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the RAC, the Driving Instructors Association (DIA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain (MSA), Admiral, Goodyear and Quentin Willson, motoring presenter and expert.

One in five new drivers has an accident within six months of passing their test and road traffic accidents account for 25 per cent of the deaths of 15-19 year olds in the UK, compared to just 0.5 per cent of the overall adult population. Every year 400 people are killed in accidents involving young drivers.

The petition does not propose lowering the age at which people can take to the roads, but instead suggests youngsters should start to be taught about driving at school, via both practical and classroom based lessons.

Independent research undertaken on behalf of Young Driver showed that past pupils of the scheme, which takes students from age 11, are half as likely to have an accident when they do pass their test. Pilot studies in Europe have also shown a 40 per cent reduction among novice driver groups who trained at school.

Kim Stanton from Young Driver explains: “Driving a vehicle is potentially one of the most dangerous and responsible things a person can do. Learning to drive should be done over a long period of time, and from a young age, when pupils are more receptive to safety messages. Evidence-based research shows that road safety messages are better absorbed by children in their early teens rather than at driving age.  By having this take place at school it can be made inclusive for all. We urge people to sign this petition so we can get this issue in front of the people with the power to change things.”

Mark Lewis, Director of Standards for the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), added: “The high number of accidents and the sad loss of life as a result of unprepared young drivers urgently needs to be tackled. Quite obviously the driving education that youngsters are currently receiving is inadequate. 

At the IAM we can help prepare people for more advanced driving situations once they have passed their test, but there needs to be more done at an earlier stage. Learning such an important skill shouldn’t potentially be done and dusted in a few short months. That’s why I strongly believe people should sign this petition and get the subject debated in the House of Commons.”

Quentin Willson, motoring expert and presenter, added: “Both my son, age 16, and daughter, age 11, have started having driving lessons with Young Driver. I think it’s vital – it’s a road safety revolution in the making. If we could get this on the curriculum, so the opportunity was open to all, it would have huge ramifications in terms of the safety of our young people. And, as both a father and road user, that’s certainly something I want to back. 100,000 signatures could help save 400 precious lives every year.”

To add your signature to the petition visit: 

TMW THOUGHT

This is a really great idea, with the cost of driving going through the roof, and kids just doing the basics to pass a test, before getting cars, and not knowing how to drive properly, school participation would be an ideal place to give kids of 15/16 a start, getting them to learn the highway code, the rights and wrongs, forward planning and observation, as well as a couple of lessons, on private land of course.

These kids, are all vocal about how great they are at everything, and how they can drive like Alonso, but recently at an Experience day (I had purchased an event for my partner), there were this group of kids all gobbing off, about being so great and so expert, how they were going to drive around faster than anyone else, yet all of them, without exception, got in their car, and drove around at about 20mph.

At one stage, they were going sooooooo slowly, they pulled all the other drivers off the course, so that they could get a proper drive after the kids had been finished with, and as each one got out of their car, they all looked sheepish and heads down, whilst everyone else just laughed - Kids these days just try to "BIG UP" themselves, and do everything to look cool, and it is these idiots that end up crashing, injuring and possibly killing people, so early intervention would be a great idea.

SO, PLEASE SIGN.....

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/104632