Speeding up secure Eurotunnel border crossings: how PwC helped introduce and pilot new technology

PwC assembled a team with experience in technology, process design, boarder management, European law and public-sector relationships to help develop a new biometric system, using iris and facial recognition technology, to speed up border crossings.

Traffic through the Channel Tunnel, which links the United Kingdom to France, is growing 5% to 7% every year. In 2017 alone, more than 25m cars, 1.6m trucks and €92bn (US$108bn) of goods moved between the UK and continental Europe through what is commonly called the Eurotunnel. This increasing volume, coupled with budget constraints hitting border control forces, presented a significant challenge to Getlink Group (formerly Eurotunnel Group), which operates the Eurotunnel under the auspices of British and French authorities.

The company needed to upgrade the border check system to minimise bottlenecks to the flow of goods but also maintain a high level of security. This required the development of a technology-based solution and a compelling business case to secure the approval of British and French authorities.

PwC assembled a team with experience in technology, process design, border management, European law and public-sector relationships. Working with Eurotunnel and relevant UK and French authorities, a concept was developed for a new biometric system, using iris and facial recognition technology. The team also developed a business case for the investment and identified the legal and technical requirements for both the pilot and a future implementation. Finally, it identified potential suppliers for the technology.

Once the plan was in place and agreed to by parties on both sides of the border, PwC and Eurotunnel implemented a five-month pilot which enrolled 480 truck drivers who use the tunnel regularly to gauge user acceptance, security and speed.

Impact

The successful pilot was conducted live in Calais, France, in 2017. Identity check times were significantly reduced without compromising security. Technology-enabled checks took, on average, 9 seconds (compared to the average of 45 seconds currently necessary for a check by a border guard). At the same time, the error rate for accepting an unauthorised user in the pilot was less than 0.01%. Finally, the satisfaction survey reported positive user perception: more than 85% of the respondents said they were satisfied with the process.

The next phase of the pilot, which has already been approved by the UK Home Office, will focus on passenger travel.