Northamptonshire Congestion up 14% since Labour came to power

12.00.00am GMT Fri 20th Feb 2004

Figures released by the Department for Transport today show that road traffic in Northamptonshire has increased by 14% since 1997. The new figures reveal that an increase in vehicle kilometres travelled has occurred in every part of England, but Northamptonshire is well above the average increase of 8%.

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 Andrew Simpson, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Northampton North, 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.

"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."

Notes To Editors

Statistics available on the Department for Transport website at

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_027416.xls