Blue Mountains cinema owner Kristen Mulholland knows all about the mayhem that can be unleashed by Easter holiday traffic jams.
Mulholland, whose independent Mount Vic Flicks sits on the Great Western Highway west of Sydney, last year opted to cut screenings that coincided with peak traffic times as people fled the city ahead of the long weekend.
“In previous years we’ve opened as normal, but have had a near empty cinema because people are stuck in traffic,” Mulholland said.
The cinema will be taking the same approach this year, only holding a Thursday screening in the morning and cutting back on the number of sessions over the long weekend.
“We usually do 16-17 sessions [from a Friday to Monday], but we’re only scheduling seven and it’s just simply to avoid those peak hours,” Mulholland said.
Those looking to avoid the worst of the delays might also want to forget about heading out of the city on Thursday night or later the next day, according to state transport departments. Early Good Friday morning may be the most strategic time to make your get away.
In Victoria, the number of cars on the road on Good Friday gradually increases from around 7am, before reaching its peak between 11am and noon, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said. The peak remains steady until it starts to decline at around 7pm.
On the Thursday, the rush typically ramps up from 3pm onwards and doesn’t begin to decline until around 9pm.
“With millions of people set to travel on roads around the state over the Easter weekend, we ask that drivers plan ahead, ensure they’re well rested, eliminate distractions and never drive while affected by drugs or alcohol,” the spokesperson said.
Sydneysiders face similar peaks, with the state’s transport department expecting to see the heaviest traffic departing the city on Thursday afternoon, and from around 10am on Friday.
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A spokesperson said pre-Easter traffic congestion typically starts from Thursday morning. They also warned maintenance work will take place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge across the long weekend.
In Brisbane, increased traffic and congestion along the Bruce Highway and Pacific Motorway generally starts to increase from midday on Thursday.
On Good Friday, it ramps up at 10am, with the peak continuing until about 2pm.
“If you plan on hitting the road for the Easter break, our advice is to allow as much time as possible for delays and aim to drive outside of peak hours if you can,” said the RACQ’s traffic and engineering manager, Greg Miszkowycz.
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