Dover is creating a registration zone in the ferry holding area where cars will queue for up to 90 minutes before their booked sailing. Photos and fingerprints will be captured there using a tablet device – yet the French technology that will run the system is still being “finessed and refined”, Mr Reardon said.
New recruits will be needed to hand the tablets to the occupants of cars and advise them on their use, as well as marshal coach passengers who will be screened separately.
For people flying to the EU, biometric checks will be made on landing.
With the EES due to be introduced in a “big bang” event that will see the new digital system completely replace the passport stamp, even a few straggler airports could cause chaos.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) last month identified the looming Oct 6 deadline as one of the biggest concerns for European airlines.
Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s regional head for Europe, said: “The industry is concerned there are critical unresolved items which will require urgent and coordinated action from both the EU and member states prior to its implementation.”
Mr Schvartzman called for a transition period during which measures can be taken to “alleviate the impact of EES” if queues get out of hand.
IATA also called for a support helpline to be established for airlines to assist travellers.
The European Commission, which has said all necessary preparations for the EES must be made before it is introduced, didn’t immediately respond to questions about potential delays.
At Dover, work on roads and infrastructure required for the EES is continuing, with the port’s obsolete Granville dock about to be filled in to create extra space for the scheme in time for next summer, when traffic levels will be much higher than over the winter.