Drivers have been warned to expect the busiest early May bank holiday weekend on the roads in a decade, beginning with 'Frantic Friday' today. The RAC estimates that 19 million leisure trips will take place by car between today and Monday, just behind the record 20 million forecast for the same period in 2016.
Some 39 per cent of respondents to a survey of 2,218 UK drivers commissioned by the motoring services company last week said they intend to take to the road for a day trip or overnight break over the four days. This is despite the recent surge in fuel prices sparked by the US-Israeli war on Iran, which started on February 28. Compared with a year ago, the cost of filling a typical 55-litre family car with petrol or diesel has increased by £13 and £27 respectively.
The average price of petrol across the UK is 156.98p and diesel is 188.53p, which means it costs about £85 to fill up a family car with unleaded and over £100 for diesel. Tomorrow is set to have the heaviest leisure traffic, with more than four million journeys. The worst traffic will be from 10am to lunchtime, with the M5 from Bristol to Taunton a likely congestion blackspot as people head to Devon and Cornwall.
It also warned that so-called 'Frantic Friday' will be very busy on the roads, when 3.7 million drivers on getaway journeys compete for space with regular commuters. Some three million leisure trips are planned for both Sunday and Monday, while a further five million people intend to take a trip some time between Friday and Monday but have not decided exactly when.
Among the 61 per cent of UK drivers not planning to make a leisure trip over the long weekend, just 6 per cent said this was a direct result of the recent increase in the cost of petrol and diesel. RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Sean Kimberlin said: 'Even though fuel prices are uncomfortably high, it clearly takes a lot to stop drivers taking to the roads to make the most of a bank holiday weekend. The fact it's set to be the busiest early May bank holiday in ten years shows just how much we depend on our cars to get us wherever we want to go.'
Mr Kimberlin urged drivers planning getaway trips to ensure their vehicles are 'up to the task' by carrying out checks on tyre pressure and tread, and levels of oil, coolant and screen wash. The RAC commissioned research company FindOutNow to survey 2,218 UK drivers about their bank holiday travel plans between April 22 and 23. It estimated getaway totals by extrapolating the results based on 34.5 million cars being licensed in the UK.
Meanwhile, Network Rail said the 'vast majority' of Britain's railway network will be open as usual over the long weekend, with 'some notable exceptions' because of engineering work. Liverpool Lime Street station will be closed all day on Sunday and until noon on Monday. The East Coast Main Line will be shut between York and Darlington for three days from tomorrow. London's Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will be closed over the same period, with Cannon Street also shut on Sunday.
Other significant engineering works will affect services at the capital's Euston station, Bath Spa, Huddersfield and Cambridgeshire's Ely area. Anit Chandarana, a group director for Network Rail, said: 'There is no right way to do major work on our railway, but bank holidays are still among the least busy times for us in terms of passenger numbers and freight services. Those extra days with fewer travellers give us an opportunity to do longer projects that we couldn't do in a normal two-day weekend or overnight. So while most of our railway is open as usual over the bank holidays this May, there are some major exceptions. I'd advise everyone to plan ahead and check before they travel.'
The Met Office has said the bank holiday weekend will bring a mixture of sunshine and showers, following another warm week including highs of 26C (79F) today. Conditions will begin to turn unsettled from after today as showers spread from the South and West, with heavy and thundery bursts of rain possible in places. A changeable pattern will take hold by the start of the long weekend as showers are set to be interspersed with sunnier intervals between tomorrow and Monday.
