Government urged to get cars off of the road

The government is being urged to 'get cars off the road', as traffic in Britain returns to levels seen before the coronavirus lockdown.

According to official figures, between 87 per cent and 105 per cent of the usual amount of vehicle journeys for the time of year have happened in the past two weeks.

Although some have argued that busy roads were a sign of economic recovery, the Liberal Democrats have stressed that it was time to 'fundamentally' rethink transport, whilst the Green Party warned of 'gridlock'.

Last month Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that £2 billion would be spent on encouraging walking and cycling, as part of an effort to improve health and fitness, and build on changes in transport use during lockdown.

This certainly seemed a positive move, backed both by society and health professionals. In April, after restrictions on movement were imposed, journeys in motor vehicles dropped to 23 per cent of the usual level in Britain. They have steadily increased since then.

At the same time, cycling surged in popularity during lockdown, hitting a peak of almost four times the usual level over the May Bank Holiday weekend. This has since declined, but is still well above the average.

Nonetheless, critics of the government are urging ministers to do more to get people on to bikes.

Liberal Democrat environment spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse warned that, in order to get cars off the road, local authorities need to be given the power and the resources to adapt road layouts to create distinct cycle lanes, separating cyclists from traffic.

She said: "The Covid crisis created an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we use our road networks, but the government failed to be radical enough to deliver permanent change. Breathing fresher air and having more space on the roads for cycling was, for many, the only silver lining of the Covid-19 lockdown."

Caroline Russell, Green Party transport spokesperson, said: "Public transport capacity is still much reduced from normal with the ongoing need to stay physically apart. If just a fraction of the people who usually catch the bus or train get into a car these traffic levels will quickly result in gridlock and a pollution spike, so it's crucial local authorities help people make local journeys on foot and by bike."