Traffic congestion in Newport Road, Cardiff
Photo: Chris Brown, Cardiff Friends of the Earth
Cars
The car has brought many benefits by increasing mobility and allowing us to carry larger loads, but it is at a huge cost. Road congestion slows people’s journeys and increases business costs. Traffic increases accident rates, affects people’s health and increases pollution. Increased car ownership encourages urban sprawl and inner city decay.
Traffic has the greatest affect on the most vulnerable in society. These are:
- the young
- the elderly and
- the poor
Traffic delays
Road traffic in Cardiff rose from 0.89 billion vehicle kilometres in 1995 to 2.92 billion vehicle kilometres in 2005. It rose by 0.26 billion vehicle kilometres between 2004 and 2005 according to National Assembly figures.
The congestion spiral
Roads in many cities, including Cardiff, are already congested and traffic levels continue to grow. As the economy improves many people buy cars. More cars and less bus travel produce congestion and unreliable bus services. The increased operating costs and lower revenue produce higher bus fares and reduced services. This in turn encourages more people to buy cars.
Traffic produces pollution, dirt and noise. The pollution and danger from cars and lorries discourage pedestrians and cyclists. The lack of real choice makes many pedestrians and cyclists buy cars. This makes the congestion worse.
This downward spiral will continue if nothing is done to stop it. Building roads is no solution. More space on the roads simply produces more traffic.
The solution is stop wasting money on road building and instead to invest in the alternatives: