§ Mr. Eyreasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the forecast increase in heavy goods traffic in the West Midlands region for 1990 and 2000; and what effect this increase will have on roads in the region in those years.
§ Mr. HoramHeavy goods vehicle traffic:—vehicles over 30 cwt. unladen weight—in the West Midlands is forecast to increase in line with national goods vehicle traffic by between 20 and 33 per cent. by 1990 and by between 33 and 56 per cent. by 2000. These estimates are given in The interim memorandum national traffic forecasts issued by the Department in January 1978. Currently goods vehicles comprise about 10 per cent. of all road traffic, although the proportion of goods vehicles on any individual road varies considerably. The future levels of goods vehicle traffic on718W individual sections of the network are similarly expected to vary and, therefore, the effects of this growth in goods traffic will differ accordingly.