A new record 14 million drivers are set to hit the UK’s roads for the last weekend before Christmas. The RAC motoring group warns of added congestion with rail disruption due to engineering works. The AA urges drivers to be prepared with plenty of fuel, to ensure phones are charged and to have tyres and lights checked. They also advise motorists to carry food and warm clothing in case of getting stuck in a traffic jam.
Safety experts explain that it might be one of the busiest festive periods for road travel since 2010, but with Christmas being in the middle of the week, this may spread traffic over several days. The RAC warns that the worst time to travel on Friday is between 2 pm and 7 pm, while an evening journey may be slightly easier. On Saturday, commuters are advised to head out in the morning, as most traffic is expected between 1 pm and 6 pm.
Julian Bray, a travel expert, says that road travellers should go early and come back late due to heavy traffic caused by rail engineering works over Christmas. Network Rail similarly advises rail passengers to check their journey before travelling. Heathrow Airport journeys and rail travel to south-wales and south-west England may be affected due to London Paddington’s closure for HS2 construction works between 27th and 29th December.
Data analysts Cirium expects air travel’s busiest day over the festive period to be on 20th December, which could see 5% more departures than in 2023. This year’s overall busiest days for Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham and Bristol Airports will be on 22nd December. Mr Bray advises airline customers to stay in touch with their airline and expect alterations and advises customers to always reconfirm their return journey before setting off.
Lastly, one of Europe’s busiest ports, the Port of Dover, urges travellers to arrive only for their allotted sailing. Passengers should also be ready with their passports and carry snacks or entertainment to pass the time. Holyhead, one of Britian’s busiest ports in north Wales, remains closed until 15th January at the earliest as it sustained damage in Storm Darragh
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
