Main-road Traffic Up By Over Half
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TRAFFIC on the trunk and Class 1 1 roads of England and Wales has increased by more than half in the past five years. A census taken in August, 1959, showed that the number of vehicles counted was 12 per cent. greater than in the corresponding week of 1958, and 56 per cent_ greater than in 1954. Heavy goods vehicles showed an increase of 18 per cent. in the year and cars 11 per cent. Travel by bus and coach showed a slight decline.
Counts were taken at 100 points from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. each day during the week ended August 23, 1959. It was estimated that some 810m. vehicle miles were covered by all types of vehicle in that week. About 48 per cent, of the total was travel on urban roads, while 42 per cent, was on the trunk roads although they comprised only 30 per cent. of the aggregate mileage, Saturday was the busiest day of the week.
On weekdays, 62 per cent. of the travel was by car and 12 per cent. by buses, coaches and motorcycles. The remaining 26 per cent. was goods traffic. On Sunday, 77 per cent, of the total travel was by car, and 15 per cent. by other passenger vehicles. Only 8 per cent. was goods traffic.
The largest percentage increase in travel over 1958 occurred in the Metropolitan area (15 per cent.) and the smallest in the south-west (6 per cent.). A similar census was taken at 32 points in Scotland in the same week. From this it was estimated that 108 vehicle-miles were travelled on trunk and Class 1 roads. The total estimated vehicle-mileage on trunk and Class 1 roads in Great Britain was thus 918m.