Great Easter getaway: Drivers face busy Saturday on the road

Holidaymakers travelling on the roads faced a busy Easter Saturday as they headed on their Easter getaways over the bank holiday weekend.

Travellers have faced delays but conditions were less congested than Good Friday, the AA said.

Some 27.6 million journeys will be made over the busy bank holiday weekend as people embark on their staycations, the motor organisation predicted.

A crash caused delays of up to 40 minutes on part of the M6 earlier on Saturday, according to AA President Edmund King.

The M25 has also been “incredibly slow on both the west side around Heathrow and east side near Dartford”, he said.

Routes to the South West were not as busy as Good Friday but there have been some delays on the M4 and M5 near Bristol, the AA expert said.

He said: “Today traffic has been busy but less congested than Good Friday.

“I have driven 176 miles in three and a half hours from Hertfordshire to Old Trafford and charged the car on the way. Overall, the picture is busy but generally the traffic is flowing.”

The best time to travel is after 3pm on both Easter Saturday and Sunday, the RAC suggested.

Also, it was advised people travelled before 10.30am on Easter Monday or after 6.30pm to avoid the major queues.

There have been some reports of fuel shortages.

However, the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents independent forecourts, said it was not aware of widespread problems.

Gordon Balmer, PRA executive director, said: “We are aware of protests at several fuel supply sites; however, the majority are unaffected.

“Fuel suppliers are working hard to ensure fuels are being delivered as quickly as possible and our members are working closely with them and following their advice.”