marty_t3

I saw an article in the paper today which stated that recent government figures show an increase in traffic of 7% since 1997. Clarkson claims that the number of cars hasn't changed. It turns out that the government figures are taken from traffic monitoring (when the number of cars passing a set point are counted).

From what i can gather from that, it's not a case of more cars... it's people using their cars more often and travelling further.

People are travelling further to get to work (partly due to extortionate house prices).

More people are working (according to the gov's unemployment figures) so there are more commuters.

The extra people travelling by bus/train have put more strain on public transport so more people are resorting to cars.

It seems to me that it's almost entirely the governments fault that the traffic figures are up

Jye_0

Sounds about right m8.

Adrian F

Congestion is a lot worse in London because they have removed road capacity at key places by installing Bus lanes which sit empty and by reducing the width of junctions by making the pavement which is empty wider! and then blocking all the short cuts so everbody has to sit stuck on the main road.

Then they use this as an excuse to charge £5 a day and none of it will be invested in roads instead it will go into more empty bus lanes. and empty cycle lanes.

The thing that really sickens me is the Red Routes which are so important that you get a ticket if you stop at any time for 5 minutes but then 6 months later one of the lanes is permantly removed to make a Cycle lane with bollards to stop cars or made into a Bus lane to stand empty most of the time. Who come this is allowed when 6 months earlier it was a critical transport route?

People want to drive we vote with our money ever day and that is worth a lot more than a few votes Ken got stuck in a metal box 3 years ago.