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Tackling traffic congestion

6th November 1997
Page 44
Page 44, 6th November 1997 — Tackling traffic congestion
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Government's Roads Review consultation document must lead to a sustainable policy to keep Britain's trunk roads rolling.

THE PROBLEM Without urgent and decisive action, Britain's road network will become gridlocked. With some 24-million licensed vehicles vying for space on less than 400,000km of roads, Britain is one of the most heavily traffic-congested countries in Europe with no less than 60 vehicles for every kilometre—way above the EU average of 44 vehicles per km.

NEW APPROACH Following the publication of the Roads Review and Developing an Integrated Transport Policy documents, John Prescott, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), has promised to produce a White Paper based on the results of the consultation process by spring 1998. This consultation takes the form of a series of questions to which sound and feasible answers are sought from all road users.

ROADS REVIEW The Roads Review is intended to look at the role of the road system within an integrated transport policy. It will attempt to come up with long-term solutions to growing congestion while:

• Giving more weight to various environmental considerations; • Taking account of the needs of all road users including cyclists and pedestrians; • Placing greater emphasis on the use of public transport.

In an extensive document (copies of which are available from the DETR or via the Internet) general policy issues are set out, together with: • Proposals for tackling road congestion; • Other objectives to be achieved besides overcoming

the problems of congestion for example, accessibility, safety, economy and environmental sustainability;

• Consideration of other issues like funding and cornmercial involvement in public-private partnerships; • The development of an investment strategy for the trunk road network. Volume two examines the trunk road network in a region-by-region assessment, including some details of schemes under construction.

PRIORITISING Among the key questions posed on methods of tackling road congestion is one concerning possible methods for managing demand by road transport operators: can, or should, priority be given to certain types of traffic? Should trucks have priority over cars on certain routes, or vice-versa?

CONGESTION On a tougher note, consultees are asked to suggest how bottlenecks might be dealt with; to what extent new or additional road capacity could relieve congestion; and how a balance might be struck between the environment, economy and on safety.

BUSINESS The business community is asked how it could reduce its own demands on the trunk road network, bearing in mind competition and the pressure to maintain justin-time deliveries and other modern practices.

RECENT TOOLS As the document shows, there is an extensive range of tools, either in existence or being developed, which could aid the effective management of available road space. Restrictions on access to motorways and speed controls are being piloted, while improved journey information by way of teletext, in-vehicle radio traffic broadcasts and variable message signing on the roadside already exist to assist choice of routes.

CONTROLLED ACCESS The subject of controlled access has already raised an outcry, particularly in the West Midlands, where there are suggestions that commuter traffic would be banned from joining sections of the M5 and M6 to allow priority for trucks.

These routes are some of the most heavily congested in the country, with daily queues extending, typically, to more than 10km and sometimes up to 30km.

At motorway intersections these tailbacks regularly encroach onto the motorway carriageways, which inhibits the passage of through traffic and creates considerable hazards.

Tags

Organisations: European Union
People: John Prescott

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