A couple say they were stuck for four hours in 'absolute mayhem' as they tried to leave the Arndale car park in Manchester city centre, following a Christmas shopping trip.
Protective packaging designer Chris Thornley, 52, and his partner had enjoyed a stroll around the shops and a visit to the Christmas markets when they decided to head back home to Rochdale to enjoy Saturday night. But after returning to their car, parked on the top floor of the car park, at 4.20pm the couple were unable to exit until 8.30pm.
During their ordeal, which saw the pair wait TWO HOURS to go down just one level from floor 13 to 12, Mr Thornley said "absolute mayhem" ensued - with drivers beeping their horns, fumes from the running car engines filling the air and people panicking that they were supposed to be at work or had children with them. Mr Thornley said one mother with a young child was sat with "her head in her hands."
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He says: "A man told me he was supposed to be at work at 6pm. What if you were elderly, needed the toilet or had a baby with you? The air was intoxicated with car fumes from all the engines running and people were sounding their horns - it was absolute mayhem."
Mr Thornley says it became so desperate, he and his partner considered leaving their car in the car park and catching a train home, but they had bags of shopping with them.
The couple finally got home at 9.30pm - five hours since they returned to the car park to head back. He says: "You can go in the car park, but you can't get out. I will never, ever take a vehicle in to that car park ever again. I have texted everybody I know saying 'avoid, avoid, avoid.'
The Manchester Evening News previously reported that numerous visitors to Manchester city centre said they were stuck in their cars trying to leave level 12 of the car park for hours late on Saturday, November 19. Many people had flocked to Manchester for the Christmas Markets and the Rugby League World Cup final that day, leading to congestion on the roads.
The longest wait we were aware of at that time was three hours and 45 minutes. Other motorists said they had waited in excess of three hours. It has prompted a wave of complaints that the give-way exits for the car park to the street below are not sufficient to let motorists leave the multi-storey.
In response to the concerns, TfGM said it was ‘monitoring traffic movement’ over the weekend, and made ‘tweaks to assist with traffic flows where we could’. The organisation’s head of highways, Peter Boulton, also advised visitors to plan well ahead.
In a statement, he said: “Manchester is a top destination and with a number of events and the Christmas markets adding to the usual retail and leisure offering, the last couple of weekends have seen increased numbers of people travelling into the city centre by both car and public transport.
“We’d encourage anyone coming to Manchester to think about how they are going to get in, around and out of the city and to plan their journey in advance, avoiding the busiest times and routes where possible.”
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council, which own and manage the car park, added: "The Council is sympathetic to drivers who were caught in congestion while trying to leave the car park, however, the circumstances which caused delays were outside the Council's control, therefore purchased tickets will still be valid.
"If a driver is issued with a PCN as a result of the congestion whilst exiting the car park they will be able to appeal the notice in-line with Council policy."
Pat Karney, the council’s city centre spokesperson, has apologised for the issue. He tweeted: “The city centre is super busy at the moment but we will see how we can improve this situation. Apologies everyone.”
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