§ Ms QuinTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated about the costs of traffic congestion. [13158]
§ Mr. WattsThe Department has not commissioned research to estimate the national cost of traffic congestion. The cost of congestion at a national level is a very difficult concept to pin down. Estimates have been made of the UK cost of congestion on the basis of work carried out by the OECD some six years ago. However, the method used contains a number of gross simplifications and the figures are consequently unreliable.
Our own traffic and economics assessments focus on appraisal of individual transport projects. They start from the baseline of current congestion levels and estimate the reduction in congestion costs in the area concerned that can be achieved by implementing the project. These estimates are backed up by an on-going extensive programme of research on methodology.