Traffic fell more in Britain than in any other European country during lockdown and it will be ‘a while’ before car use returns to normal, study says
- They compared traffic data for February with records for March to June
- UK came out bottom for post pandemic recovery out of 19 European countries
- Recovery in major cities London, Belfast and Manchester also proved anaemic
Traffic has fallen more in Britain than in any other European country since the pandemic struck, as motorists choose to stay at home instead of getting back on the road.
After comparing data for February with records for March to June in 19 European countries, it was revealed that Britain’s roads are languishing at 67 per cent of their pre-lockdown levels.
France, on the other hand, has surged back to life with traffic at 112 per cent of its crisis levels. In Italy the figure is 100 per cent, and in Germany it is 98 per cent.
Inrix, which conducted the research, warned that the creeping rate of recovery in the UK may continue ‘for some time’.
Analysis by Apple suggests that the UK is also making sluggish progress out of lockdown, with traffic levels stagnating at mid-January levels and at least 30 per cent behind Italy, Germany and the US.
Traffic in Britain has lagged behind its European and American neighbours since May, making the UK the slowest country to get moving again. This graph shows levels of traffic in London were lower than Paris, Berlin and New York by May 11. The city has not caught up
Traffic in the UK remains the same as mid-January, according to Apple. But in the US it is 30 per cent above this level, Germany 34 per cent up, and Italy 35 per cent up
Use of public transport languishes at 51 per cent of pre-crisis levels, data from Apple says. Walking is down 42 per cent and driving is down seven per cent
Inrix’s report measured traffic levels in vehicle miles travelled.
They found that the UK’s traffic growth rate in the last four weeks has actually slowed down to nine per cent.
Beforehand, measurements from its low said that traffic was growing by 11 per cent a week.
London has continued to suffer the slowest rate of return to the roads in the country, they said, averaging seven per cent a week.
Belfast and Manchester have both seen growth rates of about 10 per cent.
‘Despite recent gains, Belfast, London and Manchester are still far below ‘normal’ after adjusting for seasonality,’ the report says.
‘They are at -39 per cent, -41 per cent and -38 per cent respectively.’
Data suggests that rates of travel on public transport have also remained stubbornly low, as people stay home and offices remain closed.
Data from Apple says that public transport use is at 51 per cent of pre-crisis levels while walking is at 52 per cent.
Driving, however, has surged to 93 per cent, they said.
Data from TomTom also suggests that the UK’s roads remain quieter than normal, although the first traffic jams are now beginning to appear.
They recorded an increase in traffic jams in London, but they remain at half the aveerage.
FirstGroup has called on the government to encourage people back on public transport to get the economy moving again.
They say that they have been cleaning buses regularly and the mandatory requirement for facemasks makes the form of travel safe.
Rishi Sunak’s attempt to kick start the UK economy could be derailed by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) ongoing message that people should not get trains or buses unless making an essential journey.
This data shows the drop off in car journeys from the start of the crisis in March. They tend to spike around weekend time
Traffic data from TomTom shows that the level of congestion continues to remain below what is expected at this time of year