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The government is being urged to suspend peak train fares and introduce massive tests for transportation personnel, to help the country avoid travel “chaos” in the run-up to Christmas.
Work demands that Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps submit a “comprehensive travel plan” to the House of Commons next week that calls for the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions between December 23 and 27.
Decentralized administrations agreed to a temporary easing of restrictions during Christmas, which will allow up to three households to blend into a single bubble.
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Virus ‘doesn’t know it’s Christmas,’ says PM
Network Rail President Sir Peter Hendy was appointed Christmas Travel Czar this week, and will discuss the impact that the relaxation of the rules will have on the air, rail and road networks over the five days, and discuss their readiness.
Labor says more than two million people used the rail network to travel during Christmas and New Years in previous years, while millions more took car trips.
To minimize the risk of overcrowding on trains, the party has called on the government to temporarily remove peak fares during the lockdown period.
It also encourages the government to implement mass COVID-19 testing for transportation workers, such as train personnel, bus drivers, and highway employees.
On top of that, Labor has also argued that planned maintenance works on the East Coast Mainline, which runs between London and Edinburgh, through cities like York and Newcastle, should be delayed until December 27, so that people can return home safely.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER), which operates the line, said planned engineering works will make alternative routes “very busy.”
Labor shadow transportation secretary Jim McMahon said: “Families will be eager to travel to see each other this Christmas after a really difficult year.
“However, we cannot afford to be complacent. The virus still poses a very serious risk to people’s health.”
“That is why ministers must come to Parliament on Monday with a comprehensive travel plan to ensure that families traveling across the country are safe and chaos is avoided on our roads and rail networks.”
He added: “This is too important for the government to ignore or leave until the last minute. It is about protecting lives and livelihoods.”
The Department of Transportation will release measures next week that will alleviate travel disruption during the Christmas period, using analysis of anticipated train ticket demand and public surveys.
Shapps has urged the public to plan “very carefully” and “when possible, book well in advance“.
He said: “As some advance tickets go on sale and people start planning their trips, we are closely monitoring the demand on the network and have already taken steps to minimize potential disruptions.
“We are currently developing a plan focused on addressing disruptions, including running longer trains and relaxing the rules to allow more types of coaches to run.”
Advance train tickets, which are usually cheaper, went on sale on Friday, eight weeks later than usual, after delays in finalizing schedules.
The capacity of trains has been restricted to allow for social distancing, and many operators force travelers to book tickets in advance.
On the roads, the RAC said its assistance team was planning to keep its service busy for “the five days of Christmas.”
Labor’s shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon will be a guest at Sophy Ridge on Sunday; watch it live on Sky News starting at 8:30 a.m. M.
