A warning has been issued to motorists ahead of the bank holiday weekend. RAC experts predict 16 million car journeys will take place between today (Friday 3 May) and Monday (6 May), with major roads in the South West expected to be among the busiest. It is expected that this road will become one of the roads with the most traffic.
Transport analysis firm Inx warned that journey times could increase by 50 per cent this afternoon on major routes including the M5 and A303. Drivers are bracing themselves for a “climax'' of cars on the roads as the weekend holidays begin.
We recommend leaving before 9am or after 5pm to avoid the worst traffic jams. Traffic is expected to be particularly busy in parts of the north west, East Anglia and the south west on Monday as people head home.
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Post-coronavirus travel restrictions have led to a surge in leisure trips planned for the early May bank holiday, with RAC figures showing the figure is “significantly higher” than the usual 14 million. The RAC survey of more than 3,000 UK drivers found that 39% were planning to visit family and friends, 14% were planning a shopping trip and 8% were looking forward to a short holiday with loved ones. It became clear that long weekend.
RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: “Coronavirus travel restrictions are a thing of the past, but catching up with friends and family remains a top priority for almost half of drivers taking leisure trips on public holidays. It's been a full year since travel restrictions were lifted, and drivers appear keen to make the most of the May Day weekend, with the total number of holiday trips this year far above the average since 2017. Exceeds.
“We expect the number of cars on the road to peak at the weekend, with as many as 3 million drivers taking a leisure trip on Saturday alone.” The vast majority of drivers plan day trips or short breaks. In addition to being crowded, our data shows that local routes to shopping centers in the city and suburbs can be jam-packed, so it's best to go early in the morning or in the evening if possible. ”
Inrix transport analyst Bob Pichue said: “Although delays are not as severe as they were at Easter, motorists should prepare for some of the longest traffic jams on major roads to and from popular destinations this weekend. “Delays are likely to peak on Friday afternoon, with some areas seeing normal conditions.” Travel times double as holiday drivers compete for space on the road with commuters. ”
But Britain's rail network will also face disruption from civil works and industrial strikes. Network Rail has revealed that it will deliver 487 projects during the bank holiday period.
On Sunday (5 May), services will be suspended between London Euston and Milton Keynes, or between Glasgow and England, due to construction work taking place on the West Coast Main Line, including Crewe and Wigan. Further disruption is expected in Cambridge, Coventry and Liverpool over the weekend.
Anit Chandarana, Network Rail's system operator director, assured that “the vast majority of our railways will operate as normal”. He said: “We know people want to travel by train rather than alternative buses, and we are putting as much work into these closures as possible to minimize the impact on passenger and freight customers. We are doing our best to incorporate it.”
Mr Chandarana highlighted the extensive renovation work planned, saying: “This month's work will include the laying of new track on the West Coast Main Line, one of the world's busiest mixed-use railways, as well as the construction of crew Work will also be carried out to replace aging equipment at the junction.'' He added: “Further work also remains to build a new station at Cambridge South, which will play a key role in sustainably developing the city and its new biomedical campus. Dew,” he added.
However, train drivers from the Aslef union are planning three one-day strikes at various operating companies from May 7th to May 9th, which could lead to the loss of rail service in some areas. , chaos is at hand.
The union has declared a ban on overtime from May 6th to May 11th, which is likely to lead to sudden cancellations. Aslef has been in a long-running dispute over pay, with no negotiations taking place for more than a year.
