Easter traffic swells as Brisbane residents leave lockdown and hit the road

Earlier on Thursday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people to drive safely as she announced the lockdown would be lifted five hours early.

“I understand a lot of families in greater Brisbane have made plans and the last thing we want to see are accidents on our roads at 5pm this afternoon into the evening,” she said.

Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said Easter was a very high-risk period on the roads.

“Be patient when you’re out there – there’s likely to be congestion,” he said.

There have been 74 people killed on Brisbane roads this year – 26 more than at this time last year.