Traffic in towns : the way forward.

The most effective ways of coping with traffic congestion in towns are to remove through traffic and to discourage unnecessary traffic. The free flow of traffic is essential to the national economy - without an efficient economy there would be no money to invest. So the Government has embarked on a major programme of by-passes to improve the efficiency of trunk roads and connect with the motorway network. In short, to keep traffic moving. Fortunately by-passes can produce substantial environmental benefits for the towns they relieve. Complementary measures must be taken in the towns for the benefits to be realised. In urban areas, the needs of different groups must be taken into account. For example the business community requires swift and direct travel and access to premises. Vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, are at risk and we must be concerned for their personal safety. Local residents attach high priority to safe and pleasant environments. People with disabilities need special consideration, particularly places to park. Urban traffic policy seeks to balance these competing priorities. Congestion can also be tackled by removing unnecessary traffic from urban roads. Ways of doing this include more effective enforcement of parking regulations. The application of technology, such as AUTOGUIDE, can improve routing of vehicles and cut out wasted journeys. Another source of congestion is roadworks. The Government is actively concerned with the measures to reduce congestion delays at roadworks, and to avoid problems caused by poor planning of work. The way forward is not just building roads. Traffic management techniques have to be further refined to respond to the need to further reduce road casualties. For example there must be a balance between the interests of traffic and pedestrian flows. AIP (Accident Investigation and Prevention) can help to reduce casualties, and can benefit all road users. Above all, Local and Central Government, the private sector and voluntary bodies must work together to achieve the balance.