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At the same time Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, announced that 778 of miles of roadworks will be lifted to allow for easier driving conditions over the Christmas period and rail upgrades postponed to allow for extra services, with over 95 per cent of the rail network to be left unaffected by engineering works.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents Britain’s rail companies, said: “We have scaled up our service where possible to help people travel over those five days. If the Government tells people they can’t now travel we would try to scale down those plans.
“For people who wouldn’t be able to travel we would offer either a refund or a voucher for the cost of their tickets.”
Scrapping the five-day Christmas bubbles would also have a further devastating impact on the hospitality industry, already reeling from the re-imposition of Tier 3 status in London and much of the country.
Marcos Fernandez, MD Arros QD & Iberica, said: “Christmas is the only chance for those restaurants that have managed to survive to make the cash to get them through the rest of winter.”
Rik Campbell, co-founder of the Kricket collection of modern Indian restaurants, added: “Christmas and New Year were already looking bleak, and now we’re staring down the barrel.”
Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: “There is a sense across much of the sector that things can’t really get much worse. Scrapping the bubble won’t improve the outlook for restaurants or pubs, though.
“With household mixing indoors at Tier 2 banned, venues are not even in a position to welcome customers for Christmas dinner if they can’t visit their friends or family. Even though big, spacious, well-ventilated venues are probably the safest indoor option for people to celebrate.”
