Britons looking to get away for the long Easter weekend have been told to expect queues and delays on the motorway, with millions of car journeys said to be planned over the four-day period.
Following a survey of its members, motoring association AA estimated that more than 27.6 million journeys could take place between Good Friday and Easter Monday – 13.6 million on the Friday alone.
Easter 2022, taking place over the weekend of 16 and 17 April with two bank holidays on either side, will be the first celebrated without Covid restrictions since the pandemic forced the UK into its first lockdown more than two years ago.
“The Easter holidays look set to give British tourism a much-needed boost as people cut back on overseas travel,” AA spokesman Tony Rich said.
“With more than 27.6 million trips planned over the Bank Holiday weekend, we can expect significant congestion across the UK as people flock to coastal resorts and holiday homes.”
Meanwhile, Melanie Clarke, the customer services director for National Highways, suggested traffic levels on Good Friday levels may not feel “much higher than a usual Friday on our network”.
“To help keep traffic moving, our traffic officer patrols will be on hand to deal with any incidents to help keep disruption to a minimum,” she said in a statement.
And she added: “We’d still encourage motorists to plan their journey and to make sure their vehicle is roadworthy before setting off.”
While an AA survey of 14,000 drivers found that more than 7,400 drivers were planning to use their car to go on holiday in the UK this year, it also found that around 20 per cent would not be going on holiday at all due to the cost of living crisis.
One of the biggest financial pressures placed on British drivers this year has been the gradual increase in fuel prices – exacerbated by the war in Ukraine – which peaked on average in March at 167.3p for petrol and 179.9p for diesel, according to figures from the automotive services brand RAC.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged to fix the issue in his Spring Statement, when he announced a cut of 5p per litre, saving drivers £3 for a tank of fuel.
The latest government figures show the average price of petrol at UK forecourts on Monday was 161.9p per litre, while diesel cost 176.0p per litre.
Holidaymakers are not only facing issues on the road at Easter, as airlines continue to be crippled by staff shortages and rail networks warned of planned engineering works.
Hundreds of flights leaving UK airports have been cancelled in the last few days, with airlines blaming a shortage of staff due to Covid-related absences.
On Thursday afternoon, British Airways’ number of cancellations stood at 74, while easyJet’s was at 52.
Manchester Airport, in particular, has been in the news of late with images and footage circulating online of hours-long queues and abandoned luggage in packed terminals.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that the problems causing long queues are likely to continue for two months, while airport staff similarly grapple with a harsh recovery from Covid.
The airport’s managing director, Karen Smart, resigned on Tuesday.
Warnings have also been issued to train passengers who could get caught in one of 530 planned engineering projects, costing a total of £83m, set to take place over Easter weekend.
This includes a closure of the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes – active on all four days, including Good Friday and Easter Monday – due to upgrades being done on the existing line and works on HS2.
Cross-Channel ferries will be busy too as people head off on foreign trips or families return at the end of the two-week Easter school break.
Additional reporting by PA
