HC Deb 08 January 2003 vol 397 c220WS
Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work he has done to establish(a) the correlation between road space available and road congestion and (b) the impact on existing public transport alternatives along such corridors arising from the provision of extra road space. [89099]

Mr. Jamieson

The Department undertakes forecasting work for road traffic, for which available road space is an input. Forecasts were recently published in 'Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report', a copy of which is in the House Library. This forecasting work also estimates modal transfer arising from transport policies.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional volume of traffic he estimates will be generated using the SACTRA model in each of the road schemes announced in his recent statement to the House. [89101]

Mr. Jamieson

The Department accepted and has implemented the recommendations of the 1994 SACTRA report "Trunk Roads and the Generation of Traffic". As a result, road schemes are designed and appraised having regard to all sources of traffic, including generated traffic. It is no longer standard practice to make separate estimates excluding generated traffic. Thus, it is not possible to provide the information requested.