§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for the reduction of traffic congestion; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. KeyThe focus of the current trunk road programme is on relieving congestion on the existing network through widening schemes and the provision of bypasses on inter-urban routes.
In urban areas, there will be cases where on economic or environmental grounds it is neither practicable nor desirable to meet demand by road construction. In these cases, the answer may lie in a mix of traffic management measures—including priority routes in London, parking controls, encouraging public transport, car sharing and park-and-ride schemes. A wide-ranging study of urban traffic congestion is being carried out. It includes the possible role of city congestion charging. The introduction of the "package approach" will encourage local authorities to develop a coherent strategy for dealing with urban transport problems, and provide more flexibility for funding between modes.