Drivers told to look for cheapest fuel ahead of ‘busiest Easter on UK roads since 2022’

Bank holiday traffic predicted to peak on Thursday, as petrol and diesel prices surge from fallout of Iran war

UK drivers are being urged to look for the cheapest petrol and “to fill up as usual” as travellers prepare to make 21.7m journeys on what is expected to be the busiest Easter on the roads in four years.

The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol rose by 20p in March, from 132.83p on the 1st to 152.83p on the 31st, raising concerns about the cost of filling up for Easter journeys. The higher fuel prices have been triggered by rising oil prices as a result of the US-Israel war against Iran.

It was the fastest monthly price rise for petrol on record, according to data released by the motoring services company RAC, surpassing the previous record increase of 16.6p in June 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But while the RAC said the jump was “unprecedented”, its head of policy, Simon Williams, urged travellers to continue their journeys while looking for the best deals. “Ahead of the Easter getaway, which is expected to be the busiest on the roads since 2022 … we urge drivers to fill up as usual and to … find the cheapest forecourts near them.”

National Highways are planning to temporarily suspend 1,500 miles (2,400km) of roadworks from motorways and major A-roads in England between Thursday and Easter Monday, as part of efforts to ease journeys, as the AA predicted 1m additional trips would be made compared with last year.

That will result in 21.7m total journeys, making this Easter bank holiday weekend the busiest on the roads since 2022, when travellers made their first full getaway after the end of Covid lockdowns. Traffic is predicted to peak on Thursday, when many schools break up for the holiday.

Some analysts suggested travellers may choose to cut back on their spending over Easter, including on fuel, amid the surge in petrol and diesel prices. Susannah Streeter, the chief investment strategist at the Wealth Club investment service, said: “There may be shorter trips planned ahead, and fewer chocolate treats bought along the way.”

The AA said that just over half of travellers expected to travel less than 50 miles this weekend, with 5% planning trips of 50-100 miles. About 1% expected to travel 100-200 miles, with fewer than 1% planning to clock up more than 200 miles.

There were likely to be more cars on the motorways due to train disruptions, with engineering works taking out west coast mainline services between London Euston and Milton Keynes from Good Friday to Wednesday 8 April.

There will be no rail service between Preston and Lancaster on 4-5 April, while in Hampshire no trains will run between Winchester and Southampton, and in Kent there will be no services between Herne Bay and Ramsgate. Services between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction will also be reduced.

Many will be choosing to go abroad, with the travel trade organisation Abta estimating that 2 million people from the UK will travel overseas this weekend. EasyJet said it was preparing for its busiest Easter getaway yet, reporting it would run 16,000 flights from UK airports during the two-week school break.

Those going to the European Union are being warned to expect two-hour delays as countries deploy a new border system, known as the EU’s Entry Exit System. It requires those from third-party countries, such as the UK, to have their photograph and fingerprints taken in order to enter the Schengen area.