1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202 
Casual users cause trouble
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
DURING AND immediately following the Second World War, food, clothing and fuel were rationed.After the fuel crises of 1956 and 1973 the government response was to limit supplies to essential users.
Today much of our road network suffers congestion and the cause is similar — a mismatch between supply and demand.Yet such an obvious and sensible response to the shortage of road space as limiting demand is not followed by the authorities.
When supply is increased by building new roads, there is only a temporary respite as demand is allowed to increase. Our highway network has evolved over centuries and remains vital to our economic well being. Yet we allow the essential users to be delayed and frustrated by casual users who contribute little to economic progress. In fact, the essential needs of road hauliers are hindered by the far greater numbers of private motorists.
If you deliver to supermarkets you will be aware that one vehicle trip can deliver 20 tonnes to the shelves which it will typically require 80 private cars to remove. So who's really causing the congestion?
Anthony G Phillips Salisbury, Wiltshire