Surge in journeys as lockdown restrictions ease
Transport usage surged across England as coronavirus restrictions were partially lifted.
Road journeys in London at 8am on Monday took an average of 42% longer compared with free-flow conditions, according to location technology firm TomTom.
That is up from 32% at that time on April 6, the first working day of last week.
Other cities to experience rises over the same period included Brighton (22% to 28%), Birmingham (22% to 27%), Bristol (25% to 33%), Manchester (27% to 37%) and Leeds (23% to 51%).
Stephanie Leonard, head of traffic innovation and policy at TomTom, commented: “This morning’s data shows a significant increase in traffic congestion on the roads, a sign that Covid-19 rules have eased across England.
“This could demonstrate that while we are slowly beginning to return back to normality with non-essential retail opening, driving still remains the chosen choice of transport as we continue to navigate through the pandemic.”
Indoor gyms, swimming pools, nail salons, outdoor visitor attractions and self-contained accommodation providers all welcomed customers back on Monday.
Train ticket retailer Trainline reported that bookings for travel this week are up 52% compared with last week, and 135% on the week beginning March 15.
The surge includes a rise in long-distance journeys.
Stations at beach destinations have seen some of the largest increases.
Popular locations include Blackpool; St Ives and Penzance, Cornwall; Clacton-on-Sea, Essex; and Brighton.
Journeys booked for peak weekday travel have also risen, suggesting more people are resuming their commute rather than working from home.
The most popular city stations booked as a destination this week include London’s Euston, King’s Cross and Paddington stations, Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds, Birmingham New Street, Newcastle and York.
Meanwhile, a fault with the signalling system caused disruption to all routes in and out of London Liverpool Street.
