As the early May bank holiday approaches, UK travelers should brace for significant disruptions across various modes of transportation, including road, rail, and air travel.
Heavy Traffic Anticipated
The RAC forecasts a “crescendo of cars” on UK roads this bank holiday weekend, with an estimated 16 million drivers hitting the road. Saturday is expected to be the peak day for traffic, with 3.3 million journeys projected. Travel times between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. are likely to be the worst.
Friday will see around 2.6 million leisure trips, with delays anticipated from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Sunday and Monday, traffic is expected to remain high, with 2.3 million trips on Sunday and 2.6 million on the holiday itself. For these days, the busiest travel times are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Major routes, especially the M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton, will face severe delays, with travel times potentially extending up to two hours longer than usual. The RAC warns that journeys on major routes could be 13% longer than average on Friday.
Airport Disruptions
At Heathrow Airport, travelers will face mixed news. Border Force staff are engaging in a four-day strike starting Monday, affecting passport control services. The strike, involving over 300 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, will continue until 7 a.m. on Friday. These workers are protesting against proposed changes to their rosters, which they argue could lead to job losses.
However, a planned strike by refueling staff was averted. Workers from Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) had planned a 72-hour strike from Saturday but reached a resolution after negotiations, resulting in improved terms for new staff, including better pension and sick leave benefits.
Rail Strikes
Rail travelers should prepare for disruptions due to planned strikes by Aslef union drivers. The strikes will affect 16 train companies on three consecutive days: Tuesday 7, Wednesday 8, and Thursday 9 May. Additionally, an overtime ban will be in place from the bank holiday Monday through Saturday 11 May.
The strike will impact several rail lines:
Tuesday 7 May: c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR’s Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern (including Gatwick Express), Southeastern, and South Western Railway.
Wednesday 8 May: Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, Chiltern, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, GWR, and West Midlands Trains.
Thursday 9 May: LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Express.
Travelers are advised to check for updates and plan their journeys accordingly to avoid the anticipated disruptions during this busy bank holiday period.