Take the stress out of your Bank Holiday drive

Vicki Butler Henderson from Channel 5's Fifth Gear supports the offer

This Bank holiday weekend, RAC and M6 Toll have teamed up to offer free passage up (or down) the toll road for 3,000 lucky motorists.

RAC will pay the £4.50 (£4.70 on Monday) charge for a random 1,000 drivers a day over the weekend (Saturday 23 May thru Monday 25 May inclusive), with M6 Toll staff choosing the cars eligible for the free pass.

Saj Arshad, director of RAC sales and marketing added;

“RAC is passionate about getting people moving and we wanted to do something unique and cost-cutting for motorists this bank holiday, and it was great that the M6 Toll were really keen to partner with us on this initiative. As the driving people, it seems fitting that we can help reduce motorists’ Bank Holiday costs and generally bring some cheer to the journey, as well as easing congestion on one of the UK’s busiest roads.”

As well as 1,000 cars having their toll paid, RAC are also setting up a free drop in centre at Norton Canes Service station, situated on the M6 Toll, where drivers can recieve free spot checks including tyre pressure, water and oil checks, as well as a 20% discount on RAC breakdown cover.

Vicky Butler-Henderson, presenter of Channel 5’s Fifth Gear show has gave the initiative her backing and added;

“I’ve never heard of a motoring organisation doing anything like this before so I was very keen to get on board with RAC. Whilst getting away for the weekend can be a real treat, the stress of the journey and the costs incurred can put a dampener on driving, so RAC’s gesture will certainly be a pleasant surprise for motorists this Bank Holiday weekend.”

The offer was announced alongside the RACs traffic and travel predictions with many of the coastal resorts being the main draw for tourists from around the country.

BREAKING NEWS – A51 Closed following accident

The A51 dual carriageway running adjacent to the Snowdome and Strykers bowling alley has been closed since 3.30pm this afternoon following an accident earlier in the day.

Information about the incident is sketchy at the moment although the Air Ambulance is known to have been called to the scene.

It is unknown when the A51 will reopen.  As soon as we have more information we will let you know.

Road improvements around Drayton Manor

Thomas the Tank Engine at Thomas Land, Drayton Manor

The bank holiday weekend is now over and for many Fazeley based residents the traffic chaos is also over.

With the immediate success of Thomas Land, that opened at the park last year, residents have been subject to regular gridlock at peak times in the season.  With reports in the Birmingham Mail saying that journeys from nearby Ventura Park taking over an hour.  Although some could argue this isn’t caused by Drayton Manor, but more the bad design of Ventura Park.

After 8 months of negotiations though, a plan is finally in place to hopefully ensure a more pleasant trip for tourists and residents alike.  During this 8 months, Staffordshire County Council and Drayton Manor have worked on addressing these issues and trying to ensure the best solution is used going forward.

County Councillor Ellis said: “This has been a complicated piece of work. With several public agencies involved and national as well as Staffordshire transport policy around traffic management to deal with it’s not been as easy as I first hoped a year ago.”

The first stage of improvements were piloted over the Easter weekend including a faster entry system and 1,500 hard placed parking spaces within the park itself.  It has also been agreed by all local road authorities around the park to improve and change the routes used by tourists to alleviate the pressure on the infrastructure around the Ventura Park area.   Although not confirmed I would anticipate this improving sign age on the M42 and A5 to avoid the shoppers and associated traffic.

Colin Bryan, Managing Director at Drayton Manor said: “The instant success of Thomas Land last year was beyond all expectations. We’re very aware of our obligation to deal with issues that arise from a greater numbers of visitors.  We could not have achieved the proposals for better traffic management on our own. County councillor Ellis worked hard to make sure the public authorities played their part in making it happen.”

Only time will tell if these improvements are successful, with a recession hit Britain and many looking to holiday at home, it seems it will be another busy season for Thomas, his friends and staff at Drayton Manor Park.