Congestion up 14% in North Somerset since Labour came to power

8.19.36pm GMT Mon 23rd Feb 2004

Figures released this month by the Department for Transport show that road traffic in North Somerset has increased by 14% since 1997. The figures reveal that an increase in vehicle kilometres travelled has occurred in every region of England with the South West leading the way with a 9.3% rise since 1997.

The figures will come as blow to the Government who were elected in 1997 promising to reduce road traffic by introducing an integrated public transport system, clearly this has failed.

Commenting on the figures Mike Bell, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Woodspring Constituency said:

"Britain is becoming a gridlocked nation. The remorseless rise in congestion is the clearest statement of the failure of the Government's transport plans.

"The Government was elected promising to tackle congestion and promote public transport. The ever increasing growth in road traffic proves that they have failed.

"Any motorist who queues to get onto the motorway in the morning at Clevedon or Portishead knows to their cost the continuing increase in traffic and congestion.

"These figures cannot be swept under the carpet any longer. The Government must come clean and tell us how they will achieve their targets of reducing traffic and congestion."

According to the Department of Transport's road traffic survey traffic movements in North Somerset increased from 1,825 million vehicle kilometres in 1997 to 2,084 million in 2002 - an increase of 14.2%.