CAUSING CONGESTION

Motorists were delayed in Derby due to a Highways Agency traffic census when Scott Wilson Consulting Services carried out the census on Sir Frank Whittle Road and Alfreton Road. Motorists were stopped and given cards, requesting details about their daily journeys into Derby. The survey aims to assess whether motorists are avoiding using the A38 junctions with the A5111, A52, and A61 because of congestion problems. The surveys are being carried out as part of the A38 Junctions Road-Based Study, which aims to improve safety and relieve congestion.

Highways Agency officials will not give motorists advance warning of the times and locations of the surveys, but they have apologised for the delays. Project manager Shifeek Hussain said, "I would urge drivers to be patient while we carry out these voluntary interviews - they only last two minutes and we will try as best as we can to minimise delays." The first days survey caused long delays with traffic queuing back to the Coxbench junction of the A38.

Further delays were caused to motorists travelling into Derby as a Highways Agency traffic census was carried out for a second day. This time, they had moved their operations to Duffield Road, which caused rush-hour traffic to back up beyond the A38 Palm Court traffic island at Allestree.

On day three, surveyors were on Uttoxeter Road, near Derby City General Hospital, and Ashbourne Road, Mackworth. A police spokesman said officers had received no complaints about any resulting traffic congestion. Well, it would be pointless wouldn't it?

The daily commute to and from work on the roads has grown by up to two hours in the past five years. Almost 43% said their commute now took 20 minutes longer than it did in 1997, with more than 36% saying it took an hour longer. An unlucky 7% reported that their daily drive to and from the workplace took more than two hours longer than it did five years ago. Nearly 1,000 drivers were asked about their commute in 20 towns and cities and 86% said they spent more time in their cars now than they did in 1997. Virtually all the motorists (96%) agreed that congestion was getting worse and more than 54% called for better public transport. Almost 62% said they would consider switching to buses and trains if public transport improved.

The AA's head of roads and transport, Paul Watters, said, "The figures speak for themselves. Public transport is so poor that drivers are forced to spend hours sitting in traffic jams rather than risk a journey on an overcrowded train or a bus that doesn't turn up. Many have so little faith in alternative modes of travel that, even if public transport were improved, they would still use the car." Drivers pay £8 billion a year in motoring taxes, he said, but get "chronic road congestion, a public transport system that resembles something out of the dark ages and the threat of being charged to drive on roads" in return. Congestion charging came in for particular criticism from drivers with 83% saying they were against the idea of charges to use roads.