HL Deb 07 December 1993 vol 550 cc64-5WA
Lord Norrie

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are monitoring traffic flows and conditions on the A.34/M.4 between the A.34/M.4 intersection and Beacon Hill in either direction, and if so, (a) how many vehicles used that stretch of road on an average weekday in October 1993; (b) how many vehicles used that stretch of road on each Friday in October 1993; (c) how long it would have taken to travel along that stretch of road at 4 a.m. on an average weekday in October 1993 when travelling as fast as traffic conditions would allow but without breaking any speed limits; (d) how long would it have taken to travel along that stretch of road at 5.15 p.m. on an average Friday in October 1993 when travelling as fast as traffic conditions would allow but without breaking any speed limits; (e) what proportion of traffic using that stretch of road on an average weekday in October 1993 were heavy goods vehicles; and (f) what proportion of traffic using that stretch of road on an average Friday in October 1993 were heavy goods vehicles.

The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)

Traffic flows are monitored at four sites along this stretch of the A.34, but information in the precise form requested is not available.

Data is available for October from two of the sites—one between the M.4 Chieveley interchange and Newbury and the other within town. This shows:

Average weekday traffic: 42,000vpd (North of Newbury) 53,000vpd (in Newbury)
Average Friday traffic: 47,000vpd (North of Newbury) 57,000vpd (in Newbury)

An unimpeded journey from Chievely interchange to the Beacon Hill interchange, at the maximum legal speed, should take about 12 minutes by car and 15 minutes by heavy goods vehicle (HGV) over 7.5 tonnes. High traffic flows and congestion on Friday evenings would extend these timings, but we do not have the actual journey times and cannot estimate them accurately.

HGV' s account for about 13.5 per cent. of the average weekly flow. The HGV percentage of traffic travelling on a Friday is not available.