manchester foe logo

Get more people out of their cars and give them better public transport (Campaign for Better Transport)

news release

Campaign for Better Transport responds to new Department for Transport (DfT) provisional road traffic estimates which show that motor vehicle traffic is still on the rise.

In the year ending March 2018 car traffic increased by 0.5 per cent  to 253 billion vehicle miles and HGV traffic grew by 1.1 per cent overall to 17.1 billion vehicle miles.

Bridget Fox, Sustainable Transport Campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport, said:

“Growing traffic levels should concern us all.  It is high time the Government stops spending billions on new road projects which only add to more traffic on our already congested roads and which does nothing to help the country’s already lethal and illegal levels of air pollution.

“It is also disheartening to see that traffic on rural roads has increased by 2.8 per cent. As our Buses in Crisis report confirms, the slow death of supported bus services in rural areas is forcing more and more people to turn to their car as their only means of getting about. The Government is making a bad situation worse, having frozen fuel duty while public transport fares rise, and pumping billions into road building while safe walking and cycling routes are a poor relation.

“The apparent growth in cars on the road masks some important trends. While people who drive for their jobs are driving more and further, we are also seeing an overall fall in trips, with city dwellers and younger adults in particular relying less and less on cars for everyday travel.

“What we need is action from the Government to invest in better public transport, walking and cycling routes, locate new homes near public transport, and get more freight traffic off our roads and onto rail. That will give people real choice in how they travel, and liberate communities from the damaging effects of ever growing traffic levels.”

ENDS

For further information contact:

Campaign for Better Transport press office on 07984 773 468 or communications@bettertransport.org.

Notes to editors

  • Read the DfT’s provisional road traffic estimates Great Britain year ending March 2018
  • Read about Campaign for Better Transport’s road campaigning work here – Evidence shows that new roads create new traffic 
  • Campaign for Better Transport is the UK’s leading authority on sustainable transport. We champion transport solutions that improve people’s lives and reduce environmental damage. Our campaigns push innovative, practical policies at local and national levels. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929).

 

Find us on

Facebook

Support Us

Donate or join us using a standing order or PayPal.

Twitter @foemcr