ABD - Congestion

The Association of British Drivers
Congestion — Whose Fault Is It?

We are told by the authorities that gridlock is imminent, and that we must use our cars less because selfish drivers are clogging up the roads. Road tolls, parking fee hikes and a multitude of oppressive anti-car policies are 'justified' using this claim. For example, London Mayor Ken Livingstone wants to 'space out' drivers by fining them on entering London.

At one point, anti-car campaigners had forecast numbers of cars on the roads year-on-year which were demographically impossible. By simply extending the line on a graph showing the growing trend of car ownership, these statistically challenged types forgot the simple fact that no matter how many cars are owned by households, there needs to be an 'adult' (17+) with a driving licence to drive a car for it to be on the roads. Forecasts have been revised downwards ever since, but to keep the scaremongering going, they are not revised downwards by much.

Looking further beneath the surface shows that it is the authorities, not drivers, who are responsible for much of the increasing congestion we face day after day. This much is clear from traffic surveys from 1998 through to 2000, which show that traffic on major urban routes is generally CONSTANT OR FALLING. Certainly there has been marginal growth in traffic overall, often around 1%, but this is due largely to increased motorways traffic, surely a good place for traffic to be (if our motorway network wasn't one of the shortest and worst funded in Europe, that is).

So, if traffic on major urban routes is static or falling, but we experience worsening congestion and delays, how is this happening?
Below, the ABD reveals the ten causes of congestion on UK roads, which relate to

a) removing road space, and
b) slower flow rates

both engineered to keep congestion, not cure it; to make car use unpleasant; and hence to justify anti-car policies and their associated taxes and charges.
Remember, these will increase congestion EVEN IF TRAFFIC ON MAJOR URBAN ROUTES REMAINS STATIC OR FALLS FURTHER:

roads are closed, confining traffic to fewer routes
roads are narrowed, restricting flow
roads are not repaired, making progress slow and hazardous
roads get bumps, humps, pillows, tables, gates, and chicanes to cause delays
ever more bus lanes and pedestrianisation schemes remove road space
roads get arbitrary and unnecessarily slow speed limits to hinder progress
cars are deliberately 'gated' at traffic lights, to cause delays to motorists
one-way and ring-road systems are made car-unfriendly
road digging by various agencies is badly co-ordinated
road re-engineering is given low priority

As multiple occupancy lanes, road tolls, and ever fewer parking spaces begin to hit harder — all of which cause traffic to bunch, stop or circulate — congestion will get worse in spite of constant or falling volumes.

Don't let them kid you that congestion is your fault

Don't just take our word for it!
Read this DfT commissioned report based on genuine public opinion:
DfT — Perceptions of Congestion