Congestion on the UK’s major motorways and trunk roads has dropped by almost one third in two years due to the effects of the recession.
These are the findings of a new AA and Trafficmaster report, which polled 75,000 motorists. It is the first decline in congestion on these roads in 20 years.
The fall has been down to people losing their jobs or choosing to work from home in order to save money, but traffic on bank-holidays and Fridays has increased as more people are choosing to take their holidays in the UK rather than abroad.
The AA and Trafficmaster have warned motorists that congestion will rise again as the economy recovers and more people find employment.
Georgina Read from Trafficmaster said: “We’ve been collecting and analysing congestion data for the past 20 years, with all previous years up to 2007 showing the congestion problem growing. However, post credit crunch, the trend has been well and truly broken and we’ve now witnessed two consecutive years of dramatically falling congestion levels.”
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “So the report brings both good news and bad news; congestion is falling, but that it is due to the recession, fuel prices and unemployment.
“The motor vehicle is an integral part of British culture and our lifestyle that we have come to rely on - whether that is getting to work, taking the kids to school or delivering our goods. So when times are hard it is with reluctance that we look at ways of cutting down on car journeys and using alternative modes of transport.
“This only strengthens our need to keep investing in the road infrastructure, so that when the recession ends we have a network that can support a thriving economy.”
