Traffic growth levels off official
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.11 The growth in commercial traffic over the past four years is now showing signs of levelling out, according to the Department of Transport.
The latest statistical bulletin on traffic in Great Britain shows that the mileage covered by heavy goods vehicles dropped by 1% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, while buses and coaches showed a 3% fall.
However, light vans were up 5% on the same period.
In 1985 as a whole the distance covered by heavy goods vehicles increased by 4%, the same as light vans.
The statistics also show a continuing shift towards the use of five-axle articulated lorries.
During the past year, the distance covered by 38-tonne lorries increased by 49%, on top of an increase of 166% the year before and 258% in 1983.
In contrast, the mileage last year by four-axle articulated lorries fell by 7%, and by 6% for three-axle articulated lorries.
In the first three months of the year, five-axled articulated lorries showed a further 27% jump over the same period last year, and the only other category to show an increase were four-wded rigid lorries, which were up just 1%.
Four-mded articulated lorries were down 11%, threetuded articulated lorries down 6%, three-aided rigids down 8% and two-axled rigids down 1%.
The figures may have been affected by the weather, as February was the coldest since 1947, but traffic in March recovered.
On a seasonally adjusted basis the 1.6 billion vehicle kilometres travelled by heavy goods vehicles in March were the lowest since February 1983.