Manchester city centre descended into transport chaos on Saturday night, with drivers reporting being stuck for hours in what witnesses described as 'absolute madness'. The festive period, combined with Christmas shoppers and market visitors, created a perfect storm of congestion that brought the city to a halt.
City Centre at a Standstill
Frustrated motorists found themselves trapped in snaking queues both entering and exiting the Manchester Arndale multi-storey car park. Car horns echoed through the streets as traffic ground to a complete standstill across the Northern Quarter and surrounding areas. A viral TikTok post, viewed more than 120,000 times, captured the extensive delays, with one user captioning it the 'annual Manchester Christmas markets tradition'.
Tempers Flare in Festive Frustration
Eyewitnesses reported seeing drivers lose their temper as the gridlock showed no signs of easing. One observer noted a particularly heated exchange where two men in a Ford Fiesta began yelling at a Deliveroo rider, who responded with a gesture. The situation was so severe that some commuters were stranded on a bus near Shudehill for 45 minutes. This is not an isolated incident for the city centre car park; back in 2022, police were called to manage similar scenes of lengthy delays and angry shoppers.
A Pattern of Pre-Christmas Problems
The traffic chaos is believed to have been caused by a combination of factors:
- Saturday night rush-hour congestion
- The annual Christmas shopping frenzy
- Visitors flocking to the popular Manchester Christmas markets
One social media commenter reflected the sentiment of many, stating: '[I] did this last year, got stuck for over an hour. Not making the same mistake again.' Another simply warned: 'The ENTIRE city was gridlocked last night. Not worth driving in folks.' Manchester Arndale and APCOA car parks have been contacted for comment regarding the recurring issue.
