School trip operators call for urgent action over ferry strikes
School trip operators are urging British MPs, the European Union, and French authorities to take immediate action over the wildcat strikes in Calais.
The School Travel Forum, a not-for-profit organisation representing and regulating school travel tour operators, is calling for authorities to end the illegal strikes, which they say are causing ‘substantial ongoing costs’ to the industry.
They say its members organise over 15,000 trips with schools every year, representing a value of over £400 million to the UK economy.
"The strikes are occurring at the busiest time of year for school trips, with a huge number travelling from Dover to Calais," it said.
Ian Pearson, School Travel Forum general manager, added: "The evidence shows that school trips are an extremely valuable educational and life experience for our children.
"The massive amount of planning and preparation made by the schools is being shamefully wasted and the immense personal value of these experiences is being lost by the pupils."
Their call came as a four-day blockade by MyFerryLink staff came to a close and cross channel services are getting back to normal.
P&O Ferries is now running its full schedule of 25 sailings a day between Dover and Calais, but DFDS Dover-Calais services remain suspended and it’s Dover-Dunkirk services are subject to 90-minute delays.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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