Major car manufacturer to offer £10,000 worth of parking this May bank holiday – find out how you can claim it

The RAC predicts that more than 16 million drivers will be on the roads over the bank holiday weekend at the beginning of May.

And car brand Dacia has discovered that motorists fear finding parking during this period of high car activity.

Nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) drivers have reported that not being able to find a parking spot is a concern.

To try to combat park and ride problems, Dacia is offering £10,000 worth of parking this early May bank holiday to help day trippers and tourists explore the UK with peace of mind.

Dacia’s collaboration with JustPark, the parking website and app that gives access to 250,000 parking spaces across the UK, offers drivers up to £20 to park between Friday 3 May and Monday 6 May .

Drivers can claim a £20 credit before following this JustPark link and then reserve a parking space.

Luke Broad, Dacia UK brand director, said: “We want to give a little back and encourage Brits to make the most of the upcoming holiday without worrying about the extra cost of parking.”

“With research highlighting that parking is a major concern for families when embarking on a trip, we hope that offering £10,000 worth of parking will alleviate some of that and help people spend more quality time with friends and family.’

More than a third (37 per cent) of British drivers embarking on a road adventure next weekend told Dacia that not being able to find a parking spot is one of their biggest “parking hazards”.

And Dacia said one in ten revealed that this weekend getaway will be their only adventure of the year due to the cost of travel and parking.

Dacia surveyed 2,001 UK respondents aged 16 and over and found that 43 per cent feel anxiety when it comes to costs on a holiday. This figure rises to just over half (51 percent) for those with families.

British motorists reported spending an average of £11 a week on parking, the equivalent of £572 a year.

Petrol recently hit 150p a litre, adding an extra cost to driving this weekend.

JustPark has also revealed which UK destinations are the most popular for holiday drivers, and these locations will be hardest to find a parking space.

Brighton & Hove is number one, Edinburgh comes second and Richmond-upon-Thames completes the top three.

Caernarfon in Snowdonia, home to Wales’ most famous castle, and Llandudno in North Wales also featured in the top ten most popular places in the UK, coming in ninth and tenth respectively.

Parking problems are leading stressed drivers to resort to dirty tactics to secure a space.

Some 51 percent of respondents admit to becoming “vehicle vultures” when trying to find a space, queuing or circling parking lots looking for space.

And one in 10 confessed to taking a spot from another driver waiting patiently nearby.

Other complaints about parking include playing “musical chairs” when queuing for a parking space (22 percent), getting tickets for not understanding parking rules (15 percent), and having minor disagreements with other drivers ( 10 percent).

The revelation about parking stress comes after the RAC revealed that holiday traffic levels are projected to be above pre-Covid levels, with Saturday being the peak day to avoid traveling on main routes if necessary. possible.

Since 2017, RAC figures suggest that 14 million drivers tend to take a leisure trip at some point over the bank holiday weekend.

But this year’s total of 16 million, in line with the last two years, is well above average, showing drivers’ continued enthusiasm post-Covid to make the most of time spent with friends and family.

And according to further research from INRIX, specialists in transport analysis and RAC, it is suggested that outbound traffic will begin to increase on Friday 3 May before peaking on Saturday 4 with 3.3 million trips.

Throughout the weekend, the best times to travel will be before 9am and after 5pm, while Friday 3 May will be the worst day for delays, with delays on major routes expected last 13 percent longer than usual.

RAC Breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: “We are anticipating a ‘crescendo of cars’ on the roads over the weekend, with up to 3 million motorists taking leisure trips on Saturday alone.”

“In addition to most motorists planning day trips and short getaways, our data shows that local routes to the city and out-of-town shopping centers could be busy, so it’s best to leave early in the morning. morning or afternoon if possible.”