Massive Fuel Queues in Birmingham as Easter Getaway Begins Early
Long waits for drivers filling up at the city's cheapest forecourt marked the start of the Easter getaway, with roads expected to see the busiest Easter traffic in four years. The early exodus saw millions of UK drivers hitting the road ahead of the long weekend.
Traffic and Fuel Price Surge
The AA estimated that 21.7 million journeys were planned for Thursday, April 2, while the RAC predicted this would be the busiest Easter on the roads since 2022. Drivers embarked on their trips despite soaring petrol prices triggered by the Iran war.
The RAC reported that the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts on Wednesday, April 1, was 184.2p, representing a 29 per cent increase since the war started on February 28. Average petrol prices reached 153.7p per litre, a rise of 16 per cent over the same period.
Birmingham's Costco Forecourt Chaos
In Birmingham, long queues formed at the Costco petrol station in Nechells. This member-only forecourt was the cheapest in the city today, with unleaded priced at 146.9p per litre and diesel at 176.9p per litre. Drivers flocked to take advantage of the lower prices, causing significant delays.
According to the AA, most drivers planned to keep their Easter journeys relatively short. Just over half, 53 per cent, expected to travel under 50 miles, with five per cent planning trips of between 50 and 100 miles. About one per cent anticipated traveling between 100 and 200 miles, and fewer than one per cent aimed to clock up more than 200 miles.
Journey Purposes and Congestion Hotspots
Visiting family and friends was the most common purpose for Easter road journeys, with work and shopping trips also featuring prominently. Expected congestion hotspots included:
- The M6 through Birmingham and further north towards Blackpool
- The M25 between the M23 and M40
- The M5 in the Bristol area and further into the South West
- The A303 in Wiltshire
- The M4 in South Wales
To ease journeys, National Highways planned to lift 1,500 miles of roadworks from its network of motorways and major A roads in England between today and Easter Monday.
European Travel and Fuel Price Comparisons
Drivers embarking on Easter trips to continental Europe were advised to save money by refuelling before leaving the UK. Analysis by the RAC Foundation of European Commission data found that the average price of a litre of petrol in France on March 23 was £1.71, some 25p more than in the UK (£1.46 per litre).
Other European countries also had significantly higher prices, such as the Netherlands at 203p per litre, Germany at 180p per litre, and Belgium at £156 per litre. Diesel prices were higher on the continent too, with forecourts in France at 183p per litre and the Netherlands at 214p per litre, charging 13p and 44p per litre respectively more than the UK's 170p per litre.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, commented, "For those driving on the continent this Easter it is a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire. If pump prices are high here – and they are – then in many parts of Europe they have gone through the roof, including in France. It might seem counterintuitive, but filling up at Dover rather than in Calais could be the wise option."
Travel Disruptions and Border Delays
Travel trade organisation Abta estimated that two million people from the UK would travel abroad between Good Friday and Easter Monday. UK holidaymakers jetting off to the European Union were warned to expect two-hour delays on arrival as countries ramped up deployment of the new Entry Exit System.
This system involves people from third-party countries like the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU. Airports Council International reported a "continued deterioration in waiting times at border crossing points," with delays regularly reaching up to two hours at peak traffic times.
EasyJet prepared for its busiest Easter getaway, with up to 16,000 flights from UK airports during the two-week school break. However, thousands of Easter train journeys faced disruption as Network Rail carried out more than 270 upgrade projects across Britain, including a six-day shutdown on the West Coast Main Line starting on Good Friday, meaning no intercity services would run between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
