Christmas getaway: disruption on roads, rail and at airports

Last-minute shoppers will combine with people visiting friends and relatives to cause a busy weekend on the UK transport network

Almost 400 miles of roadworks have been lifted to ease holiday journeys on motorways and major A-roads in England. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA


Caroline Davies and Damien Gayle



The Christmas getaway is set to continue through the weekend after a “Frantic Friday” exodus from major cities saw congested roads and rail disruption on the last working day before the festive break.


Roads will remain busy on Saturday with those who delayed travelling to avoid Friday’s rush joining last-minute shoppers and online delivery vehicles.


Major roads to airports and ports are likely to experience congestion as more than 4.5 million people headed out of the UK to spend the holiday abroad.


Almost 400 miles of roadworks have been lifted to ease holiday journeys on motorways and major A-roads in England until 2 January, but some remain in place as they are deemed too dangerous to remove.

The main roadworks are between J1 and J2 of the M5, where the motorway is down to two lanes and a contraflow remains in place. There are narrow lanes and speed restrictions between M6 J8 and M5 J1 on the southbound carriageway and between J3 and J2 of the M5 on the northbound.

Eight miles on the M1 between Junction 23a (Donington Park) and Junction 25 (near Nottingham).


Rail users, meanwhile, have been warned many of Britain’s mainline routes will be partially shut in the coming days as Network Rail carries out its biggest ever Christmas engineering programme.

Road traffic will be heavy over much of the Christmas period, according to transportation analysts Inrix, which estimates there will be 17.5m leisure car trips between Christmas Day and the new year.

In particular, Wednesday 27 December was expected to see significant delays because of high street sales, people visiting friends and relatives, and those returning from their Christmas break. The worst stretches of motorways could see three-hour delays, with high traffic volumes expected around the M25.


So-called “Frantic Friday” had been forecast to see the largest exodus, with an estimated 1.3 million Christmas travellers in addition to usual traffic. By lunchtime there had been 46 traffic incidents, according to Highways England, which included the closure of the M40 southbound between Junction 10 (Brackley) and Junction 9 (Bicester) after a lorry caught fire.


The UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, saw 130,000 departing passengers on Friday. There was severe disruption at Bristol airport with flights temporarily suspended when an Embraer 145 jet landing from Frankfurt, with 25 passengers on board, came off the runway. There were no injuries but the accident caused other flights scheduled to land to be diverted.


Rail passengers were urged to check for engineering works. Great Western Railway was advising passengers to complete journeys by Saturday “at the latest” as London Paddington is due to close between Christmas Eve and 27 December.


There will be no Southeastern trains to London Bridge, Charing Cross or Cannon Street from 23 December to 1 January.


On the West Coast main line, services will be halted between Preston and Lancaster from Christmas Eve to 27 December, with buses replacing trains. Passengers travelling between London and Glasgow during this time were being advised to travel via Edinburgh, adding an hour to journeys.


Coach operator National Express is running its largest ever Christmas schedule to meet increased demands from key locations including Bournemouth, Cardiff, Leeds, Edinburgh, Portsmouth, Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester.


Strikes by RMT union members on CrossCountry services between Cornwall and Exeter, in a row over rosters and Sunday working, were set to go ahead this weekend, after talks at the conciliation service Acas failed to break the deadlock.


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Police Beef Up Security In Iringa Region Ahead Of Christmas

IRINGA: POLICE Force in Iringa Region said it will deploy police officers to beef up security across the region before, during and after the Christmas and New Year festivals, it has been revealed.

Iringa Regional Police Commander (RPC) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Julius Mjengi told The TUMBUSI BLOG yesterday during a press briefing on the strategies rolled out to maintain law and order before, during and after the festival period.

He said the police was aware of increased activities during the festival occasions, and that they will be several security concerns including robberies on streets and residential areas.

RPC Mjengi also mentioned burglaries, theft, fraud, pick pocketing, traffic congestion and the unlawful use fire crackers and tires burning, which cause fear, panic and injuries, as issues of public concern.

He said concerning those security concerns, the police will provide law enforcement and traffic management services, hence preventing and detecting crimes, protection of lives and properties.

“Iringa region has three districts including Iringa, kilolo and Mufindi, so we make sure that criminals will not have a place to hide,” he said.

He urged the community members to cooperate with police officers in giving security tips hence strengthen security in the region  before, during and after the Christmas and New Year festivals.

Polisi Yaimarisha Ulinzi Mkoani Iringa Kabla Ya Krismasi

IRINGA: Jeshi la polisi limesema limeimarisha ulinzi kuelekea sikukuu za Krismasi na mwaka mpya ili kudhibiti vitendo vya uharifu pamoja na kupiga marufuku uchomaji wa matairi barabarani.

Akizungunza jana na TUMBUSI BLOG, kamanda wa Jeshi la Polisi mkoani Iringa, Kamishina Msaidizi wa Jeshi la Polisi, Julius Mjengi alisema jeshi la polisi katika kipindi cha sikukuu kuna watu wanajipanga kufanya uhalifu hivyo jeshi la polisi litafanya doria za kutosha katika wilaya za iringa, kilolo na mufindi.

alisema kuwa wataimarisha ulinzi katika maeneo mbalimbali yakiwemo nyumba za ibada na kuwataka waumini wa kikristo wote kusherehekea siku ya kuzaliwa kwa kristo mfalme bila hofu.

RPC Mjengi alisema madereva watakaondesha vyombo vya moto na kubainika wametumia vilevi watachukuliwa hatua kwani nia yao nakutaka kusababisha ajali ama kwa kudondodoka wao wenyewe au kugonga watembea kwa miguu.

Aidha alisema wazazi wanatakiwa kufanya ulinzi kwa watoto wao kutokana na watoto kupotea katika siku za sikukuu na kusababisha vituo vya polisi kuwepo kwa watoto hao.

Hata hivyo amesema wananchi watoe ushirikiano kwa jeshi la polisi pale wanapohisi kuna watu wanaashiria kufanya uhalifu.

Alisema jeshi hilo limejipanga kikamilifu kupambana na vitendo vyovyote vinavyoashiria uvunjifu waamanina sheria na kuwaomba wananchi kusherekea siku kuu hizo za krismasi na mwaka mpya.

Pia alisema kuwa uchomaji wa matairi barabarani kunapelekea kuharibu miundombinu ya barabara iliyojengwa kwa gharama kubwa na kusababisha ajali baada ya miundombinu kuharibiwa.

Jeshi la Polisi mkoani iringa, linatoa tahadhari kwa wananchi, kuwa makini katika suala zima la ulinzi na usalama wa maisha na mali zao.

Uzoefu unaonyesha kwamba, katika kipindi kama hiki cha sikukuu kuna baadhi ya watu hupenda kutumia fursa hiyo kufanya vitendo vya uhalifu. 

Hata hivyo, Jeshi la Polisi katika mkoa wa iringa na wilaya zake zote limejipanga vizuri kwa kushirikiana na vyombo vingine vya ulinzi na usalama kuhakikisha hakuna vitendo vyovyote vya uhalifu vitakavyojitokeza na pale vitakapoonyesha dalili ya kujitokeza viweze kudhibitiwa kwa haraka.

Blue passports could put UK citizens at back of queue, EU officials say

Theresa May’s decision to change passport colour as expression of ‘independence and sovereignty’ could mean travel delays

Travellers queue at the security checkpoints at Barcelona-El Prat airport, Spain. Photograph: Alejandro Garcia/EPA


Dan Roberts and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels



European officials have warned that Britain’s new blue passports could spell travel delays and extra paperwork rather than the enhanced freedom promised by the government.

Theresa May sought to end a difficult political year on a high note on Friday by confirming the return of navy travel documents after Brexit. She said that abandoning the EU-style burgundy design introduced in 1988 was an expression of “independence and sovereignty” that reflected “citizenship of a proud, great nation”.

But as the announcement divided domestic opinion along increasingly entrenched cultural battle lines, sources in Brussels pointed out that holders of any colour of British passport could see diminished travel rights after Brexit unless there were further negotiating concessions.

One senior official said that “depending on how negotiations go on all free movement issues after Brexit” there was a significant risk that British passport holders would lose the right to use a fast-track citizens lane when travelling on the continent and may also be obliged to use a new visa waiver scheme.

The EU travel information and authorisation system (Etias) is modeled on the US Esta scheme and could require British travellers to Europe to register in advance and make a small administrative payment.

Although a chance remains for Britain to retain fast-track privileges if there is further shift in the prime minister’s red lines on immigration, British experts said this looked unlikely. “At the moment, it looks absolutely certain that we won’t be able to go through the European citizens lane because the legal code in the Schengen borders code says it is only for citizens or people with free movement rights,” said Steve Peers, a professor of law at Essex University.

Brussels sources pointed out that the tendering process for printing the new passports was likely to take place under existing EU procurement rules, something that the current British contractor, De La Rue, recently warned could mean they were produced abroad.

Despite this, the announcement was loudly cheered by Brexit supporters on Friday after a string of recent concessions from the government.

The Home Office minister Brandon Lewis told the Sun that “one of the most iconic things about being British is having a British passport”.

“You can’t be a nation unless you have this symbol,” added a jubilant Nigel Farage. 

The old blue British passport and the burgundy European Union design introduced in 1988. Composite: PR

Under a system first agreed by Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1981, Britain is not legally obliged to use the same burgundy design as most other members but agreed to do so in a joint resolution of member states in the European council.

The agreement to harmonise certain design features followed a backlash over more ambitious plans for a community-wide passport, but it also included rules to put the words “European Community” in front of the name of the member state.

Council members, including Britain’s then ambassador to the EU, Michael Butler, signed a resolution aiming to “strengthen the feeling among nationals of the member states that they belong to the same community” but left an opt-out clause that is still used today by some members such as Croatia, which also has a blue passport.

May said Britain was choosing to return to its “iconic” blue design even though the shade proposed would be significantly lighter than the near-black navy used in previous, larger, UK passports. The majority of changes since this period have been mandated by other international aviation and security agreements outside the EU and will continue to dictate the size and content of UK travel documents.

Experts stressed that the balance between national sovereignty and harmonising travel rules was more complex than changing the appearance of a passport. “The reality is that the new passports will symbolise having fewer free movement rights,” said Peers. “We will also still have to go through the slow lane even if we have non-expired [burgundy] passports. It may not be vastly more difficult, but it will be somewhat more difficult.

“It does seem odd to make a big patriotic noise about something that makes it harder for you to travel.”

Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive of the European Policy Centre, agreed that it would depend on the final EU/UK settlement as to whether it would be harder for British passport holders to travel in Europe in future. If UK citizens were treated as nationals of the European Economic Area, the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, then there would be no problem. “Otherwise they could face longer queues”, though he stressed nothing was definite.

In Britain, opposition politicians rejected the prime minister’s claim that changing the colour was a victory for sovereignty.

“What utter nonsense – this belittles our country and your office,” said the Labour MP Chuka Umunna. “We’ve always been a great nation, proud to be British and of our standing in the world.”

The former Labour leader Ed Miliband added: “It is an expression of how mendacious, absurd and parochial we look to the world.”

David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, said Brexit was “turning us into a laughing stock”. “We’re swapping the right to live and work in 27 countries for new passports,” he said. “But don’t worry, when we’re all stood in the airport for four hours we can stand in the queue and look at just how blue they are.”

Academic experts on Brexit urged remain supporters not to underestimate the power of symbolism for leave supporters. “It’s a sign of the times that the mirror image of it appealing to a certain segment of the British population is that it will be a total turn-off to the other,” said Anand Menon at King’s College London. “It’s a reflection of how divided our society is: some people just cannot compute and other people are celebrating.”


The former British diplomat Sir Simon Wall suggested it was a measure carefully targeted at a demographic group most in need of buoying up after recent concessions.

“It’s aimed at the Brexit generation. Anyone under the age of 50 will hardly remember any other passport than we have now,” he said. “It seems from her recent performance that Theresa May has belatedly grasped the fact that we need to make some pretty dramatic compromises and she needs a bit of smoke as well – this is part of that.”

European officials distanced themselves from the original decision to adopt burgundy passports, stressing it was voluntarily agreed to by member state governments. “This has nothing to do with the European commission, nothing at all,” said the spokesman Mark English.

Claude Moraes, the British Labour MEP, who chairs the European parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee, warned that the new passports could become a symbol of what British nationals stand to lose from Brexit.

“What is being lost with the burgundy passport are the freedoms to move in the EU27 and other related freedoms,” he said. “There is every risk now that with the UK passport you will be subject to greater queus, greater checks and more inconvenience.”

The MEP, who is one of the lead negotiators for the parliament on Etias, said he was “deeply sceptical” that the EU27 would offer the UK a special deal. He said the UK would be on the other side of policies aimed at strengthening the EU’s external border, including Etias and a stronger border and coastguard agency.


“That is something people will have to get used to and the new passport will symbolise that.”

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MATENGENEO MAKUBWA MASHINE NAMBA MOJA YA KUFUA UMEME KIDATU YAFIKIA ZAIDI YA ASILIMIA 95

Mafundi wa Shirika la Umeme Tanzania, (TANESCO), wakishirikiana na wakandarasi kutoka kampuni ya Concar kutoka Croatia, wakifanya matengenezo makubwa ya mashine namba moja ya kufua umeme, kwenye Kituo cha kufua umeme wa maji Kidatu mkoani Morogoro Desemba 22, 2017. Kituo hicho kina jumla ya mashine 4 (Turbines) za kufua umeme wa Megawati 204.





NA Khalfan Said, Kidatu
MATENGENEZO makubwa ya mashine namba moja kati ya nne za kufua umeme wa maji kwenye Kituo cha kufua umeme wa maji Kidatu mkoani Morogoro yamefikia zaidi ya asilimia 95 kukamilika.
Msimamizi wa matengenezo ya mashine hiyo Mhandisi Rajabu Kindunda amewaambia wahariri wa vyombo vya habari waliotembelea kituo hicho Desemba 22, 2017.
"Kwa sasa tumeanza majaribio ya mashine kuzunguka bila kutumia nguvu za maji, mafundi wanazungusha mashine hiyo kwa kutumia mikono ili kuangalia usahihi wa unyookaji wa shafti,”alisema
Alisema hatua itakayofuata ni kuunganisha kipande yanapoingilia maji ili kuzungusha huo mtambo na sehemu ya kuzalishia umeme na Jumapili mafundi hao wanaoshirikiana na mkandarasi kutoka kampuni ya Concar kutoka Croatia wataanza majaribio ya kuzungusha mtambo wenyewe.
Aidha Meneja wa Kituo hicho, Mhandisi Anthony Mbushi Amesema Kidatu kuna mitambo minne na kila mmoja unauwezo wa kuzalisha umeme Megawati 51 na hivyo kufanya jumla ya Megawati 204 za umeme ambao unaingizwa kwenye Gridi ya Taifa.
”Tuliona tufanye matengenezo makubwa kwani kila baada ya miaka 20 huwa tunafanya zoezi kama hili ili kurejesha mashine kufanya kazi bora kwa kipindi hicho ili kuhakikisha mtambo unarejea kwenye hali yake ya kawaida.” Alisema.
Naye Naibu Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa TANESCO, anayeshughulikia uzalishaji umeme (Power Generation), Mhandisi Abdallah Ikwasa, alisema, umeme unaozalishwa kutokana na maji ni wa bei nafuu na kupongeza juhudi za serikali katioka kuhakikisha wananchi wanatunza mazingira ili kutunza vyanzo vya maji ambayo hutumika kuzalisha umeme.
“Tunaishukuru sana serikali kwa hatua inazochukua kama kuboresha upatikanaji wa maji kwa kutunza vyanzo vya maji (mazingira), hususan bonde la Mto Rufiji, timu iliyoundwa na Makamu wa Rais ambayo imefanya kazi nzuri nahuenda baada ya muda matokeo mazuri tutayaona.” Alisema.
Akifafanua zaidi alisema, juhudi zinazofanywa na serikali kuongeza vyanzo vya kuzalisha umeme kwa kutumia vyanzo vya maji kama vile Stigler Gorge zitasaidia sana nchi yetu na hii inaonyesha serikali ilivyodhamiria kupunguza gharama za umeme kwa wananchi kwa vitendo.” Alisema.
Kwa upande wake, Kaimu Meneja Uhusiano wa TANESCO Bi. Leila Muhaji, amesema Shirika limekuwa karibu na wananchi wanaoishi karibu na vyanzo vya maji na vituo vya umeme ili kuhakikisha wanashiriki kikamilifu katika kutunza mazingira ili kunusuru vyanzo vya maji.
“Na ushirikiano wetu na wananchi uko katika maeneo mbalimbali kama vile kutoa huduma za afya bure kwa wananchi wanaoishi jirani na vituo vyetu vya kufua umeme, shule za awali lakini pia hata usafiri yumekuwa tukiwapatia usafiri wa bure wananchi ambapo hutumia magari yetu ya wafanyakazi kwenda maeneo jirani na vituo.






Geti la kuruhusu maji kuelekea kwenye mashine turbines kwenye bwawa la Kidatu mkoani Morogoro





Geti la kuruhusu maji kuelekea kwenye mashine za kufua umeme wa maji Kidatu.




Geti la kuruhusu maji kuelekea kwenye mashine za kufua umeme wa maji Kidatu.




Mhandisi Abdallah Ikwasa, (kulia), akizungumza kuhusu kituo cha kufua umeme wa maji Kidatu, mkoani Morogoro. Katikati ni Meneja wa Kituo hicho, Mhandisi Anthony Mbushi na kushoto ni Kaimu Meneja Uhusiano wa TANESCO, Bi. Leila Muhaji.




Mhandisi Ikwasa, (kulia), akibadilishana mawazo na Afisa Mazingira wa Shirika la Umeme Tanzania, (TANESCO), Bw. Yusuf Kamote.




Geti la kupitishia maji Kidatu.




Meneja wa Kituo cha kufua umeme Kidatu mkoani Morogoro, Mhandsi Anthony Mbushi (kushoto), akifafanua masuala ya kiufundi kwenye chumba cha udhibiti umeme kilichoko chini ya ardhi kwenye Kituo cha Kidatu mkoani Morogoro.




Maafisa wa TANESCO na baadhi ya wahariri wakiangalia mashine iliyoharibika, a,mbayo kwa sasa iko kwenye matengenezo makubwa.




Wasimamizi wa chumba cha kudhibiti mifumo ya umeme wakiwa kazini wakati walipotembelewa na wahariri wa vyombo vya habari Kituo cha Kidatu mkoani Morogoro.




Peter Rauya, (kushoto) na Senorina Maganga wa chumba cha udhibiti mifumo ya umeme wakiwa kazini.




Wahariri wakipatiwa maelezo na maafisa wa TANESCO kuhusu utendaji kazi wa mashine za kufua umeme (Turbines) kituo cha Kidatu.




Waharorio wakiangalia mashine iliyoharibika ambayo sasa iko kwenye matengenezo makubwa.




Mameneja wa vituo vya kufua umeme kutoka mikoani wakiwa kwenye kituo cha kufua unmeme Kidatu mkoani Morogoro. Mameneja hao kwa sasa wako katika kikao kazi hapo Kidatu.




Kaimu Meneja Uhusiano wa TANESCO, Bi. Leila Muhaji, (wapili kushoto), akiwa na baadhi ya Mameneja wa vituo vya kufua umeme vilivyoko mikoani ambao kwa sasa wako katika kikao kazi hapo Kidatu.




Mhandisi Ikwasa, akijadiliana na maafisa wake.




Mhandisi Ikwasa, akijadiliana na maafisa wake.




Wasimamizi wa chomba cha udhibiti mifumo ya umeme cha Kidatu mkoani Morogoro; kutoka kushoto ni Peter Rauya, Senorina Maganga na Nicomedy Mhina.




Msimamizi wa matengenezo ya mashine hiyo Mhandisi Rajabu Kindunda (kushoto), akiwa sambamba na wakandarasi kutoka kampuni ya Concar ya Croatia wakati wakiendelea na matengenezo hayo.




Sehemu ya kuingilia "mgodini" chini ya ardhi kwenye mitambo ya kufua umeme wa maji Kidatu mkoani Morogoro.