THE GOVERNMENT came under fire today after official figures showed Britain's congested roads were carrying ever increasing volumes of traffic.

Estimated traffic levels in the first three months of this year were 1.8% higher than in the January-March 2003 period.

The Liberal Democrats said the Government had to commit itself to cutting traffic levels while the RAC Foundation said more investment was needed otherwise the roads would not be able to cope.

The statistics from the Department for Transport showed:

* Car traffic rose by about 2% in the first three months of 2004 compared with the same period last year.

* Light van traffic was 1% higher in January-March 2004 compared with the first three months of 2003, while goods vehicle traffic fell by 1%.

* The amount of traffic on motorways was 1% higher in the first three months of this year than in the same period last year.

* Minor rural roads recorded a 3% growth in traffic in the same three-month period, and there were rises of 2% on urban A-roads and on minor urban roads.

Gridlocked nation

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman John Thurso said: "Britain is becoming a gridlocked nation.

"The Government needs to give motorists a real incentive to get out of their cars. Until we have a safe, reliable and affordable public transport system, the roads will remain congested."

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said: "We are concerned by these new figures. UK roads will simply not be able to cope if traffic levels continue to grow at 1.8% a year, without significant and sustained investment by government into the road network."

Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner Tony Bosworth said: "The inexorable rise in traffic levels is a sign of the failure of Labour's transport policy. More traffic means more congestion, more pollution and more emissions of the gases causing climate change.

"It's time the Government got its transport priorities right and put more money into giving people better public transport and safer streets for cycling and walking, rather than building and widening roads."

What do you think is needed to solve the problem of road congestion?

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