Twice as many trucks pass through Dover as did 15 years ago

Bob Goldfield said a master plan was being drawn up to ensure Dover was still a vibrant port and business for the next generation.

New figures have revealed freight traffic at the Kent port reached a record high during 2002, up 15% on the year before.

The number of trucks using Dover each year has doubled since 1987.

A ferry every 17 minutes

The figures for 2002 showed 1.85m trucks passed through the port, with a total of 16.4m passengers travelling on Dover ferries - up 3% on 2001.

The number of cars increased 3% to 2.6m, while coaches rose 8% to 147,000.

And a roll-on, roll-off ferry leaves Dover on average once every 17 minutes, while on Saturday mornings during the peak season, 1,200 cars pass through Dover's Eastern Docks every hour.

A �37m scheme to build two new roll-on, roll-off berths in the Eastern Docks is in progress, with two more possibly planned, but it is uncertain whether there would be physical space for any further building.

Mr Goldfield said he believed further expansion would be needed in the future to keep Dover established as a major port and that firm predictions for future transport levels were also necessary.