Huge Lancashire Traffic Figures.
Page 11
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The report of the traffic census taken in Lancashire in August. last has just been issued by the county surveyor, at the instance of the Ministry of Transport. A traffic census was taken for a even consecutive days of 16 hours each during the month of August, statistics being taken, in agreement with the Ministry, at 221 different points. If it is assumed that the period of seven days on which the returns were taken is a fair average for the full year, there is one census point at which 4 million tons pass in. one year, three points at which 3 million tons pass, eight where 2.'s million tons pass, eight which 2 million tons pass, nine at which I:1 million tons pass, and 42 at which 1 million tons pass.
The county surveyor, however, does riot think that, even where the service is mainly commercial, the winter traffic will he quite as heavy as the summer traffic, and, to obtain a fair average for the year, statistics ought to be taken again during the winter months. The total daily weight to-day is four times greater thin in 1911, arid the average speed has at least doubled. The third road, in order of weight carried, is the Preston and Blackpool road, with a total daily weight of mechanically propelled vehicles of 9,048 tons, and horse-drawn vehicles 71.2 tons. The comparative figures in September, 1913, were : Mechanically propelled vehicles 668 tans, and :horse-drawn vehicles 255 tons. The increase is enormous, but the fact remains, however, that for at least four months in the year it has to carry a greater weight .than any other road in the county, except Trafford Road, Stretford, and Oldham Road, Failsworth. These last two roads—the former is the outlet to and from the Salford Docks—carry very heavy goods traffic, whereas the Blackpool-Preston road is mostly passenger traffic.
The total daily weight at 46 points showed the following interesting cornparisoiSs :—August, 1922; Mechanically propelled vehicles, 169,445 tans; horsedrawn vehicles, 9,684 tons ; total. 179-129 tons. ' Year 1911: Mechanically propelled vehicles, 17,566 tons; horse-drawn vehicles, 26,144 tons; total, 43,710 tons. Thus the roads are called upon to bear 135,419 tons more than in 1911, or more than three times as much. Taking the total Weight of traffic enumerated at the 221 points throughout the county, 93.6 per cent, of it is mechanically propelled and 6.4 per cent. horse-drawn.
There are only two instances where the horse-drawn 'traffic exceeds 25 per cent, of the total.