Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

Traffic still lower than expected

Chris Jones
24/ 7/2008

TRAFFIC levels in Greater Manchester are not soaring - despite warnings the region's economy could be crippled without a congestion charge.

Supporters of the controversial levy claim increasing gridlock on our roads could cost 30,000 jobs in the next 15 years.

But official figures show traffic flow FELL by one per cent on 'B' roads across Greater Manchester and rose by less than one per cent on 'A' roads last year.

On motorways, which would fall outside the planned charging zone, the figures showed an increase of just one per cent.

The new data has been released by the traffic unit of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) - the same coalition of councils that plans to introduce the charge in return for £3bn of public transport improvements.

Traffic was surveyed on 93 'A' roads and 69 'B' roads across Greater Manchester, together with six sites on the M60, two on the M62, two on the M6 and one on the M56.

Vehicles were counted manually, round-the-clock, all year, to give a comprehensive picture of road use region-wide.

The figures show that the average 24-hour traffic flow on the motorways rose from 97,524 to 98,549 in 2007.

There were year-on-year rises of three per cent from 5pm to 6pm and four per cent from 6pm to 7pm - but traffic was down by four per cent from 7am to 8am and 8am to 9am.

On 'A' roads there was a different pattern. Total traffic flow was up from 18,001 in 2006 to 18,070 last year, with a three per cent increase from 7am to 8am but a one per cent drop from 5pm to 6pm.

On 'B' roads, the average 24-hour total dropped from 10,748 to 10,675 with year-on-year decreases at 7am-8pm (down one per cent) and 8am-9am (down two per cent).

Afternoon peak traffic flow on 'B' roads was up one per cent on 2006 between 5pm and 6pm but was almost exactly the same as before at 6pm-7pm.

The figures come at a delicate time, with consultation having just begun on the charge-for-£3bn proposal.

All 1.2m households across the region have been sent a brochure outlining the plans, together with the economic case for pressing ahead. AGMA, made up of the 10 councils in Greater Manchester, will make a final decision in October - though Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese is pressing for a binding region-wide referendum before then.

The figures reflect those revealed in the Middleton Guardian last year from Manchester City Council's 2007 State of the City Report.