‘Do not drive’ warning issued for city centre

A ‘do not drive’ alert has been issued for the city centre this weekend by transport chiefs.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has asked residents and visitors to leave the car at home this weekend if they’re heading to the city centre.

This weekend (December 14 and 15), a series of high-profile events are planned in town, leading to fears of ‘peak’ traffic.

They include the Manchester derby at the Etihad at 4:30pm on Sunday, two Paul McCartney gigs at Co-op Live on each evening, and Disney On Ice shows at the AO Arena. That’s alongside the usual Christmas shopping rush, with thousands expected to visit Manchester’s Christmas Markets.

“Please do not drive into the city centre this weekend,” TfGM posted on X on Tuesday afternoon (December 10). “With many events, Xmas shoppers and other visitors, traffic will be at its peak. Use the tram, or, if you do need to drive, use one of our Park and Ride sites.”

To meet demand, a ‘pop up’ park and ride will be set up on Booth Street West this weekend, near to the universities. Hotspot areas are expected to be around the AO Arena and Etihad Campus.

However, delays are expected to be longer than five minutes on all major roads — like the Inner Ring Road and arterial routes from the suburbs into town — across the weekend.

Metrolink will be in operation, with dozens of park and rides also open so you can drive near to the city centre and hop on a bus or tram to complete the journey.