THE problem with new, empty roads is that they rapidly become new, busy roads.

According to research by the Department of Transport, planned Government road schemes will lead to a traffic increase of almost 25 per cent. Yet “no assessment” of predicted traffic levels has been carried out on 36 per cent of approved schemes and only one third outline their impact on accident levels, writes Planning (Nov 4).

The figures prompted the Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary Tom Brake to draw attention to the “self-perpetuating fallacy” of road building. “Labour gives the green light to road projects without regard to accidents, emissions or future traffic levels,” he claims.

But the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, insists that congestion will be tackled: “The Government is ready and able to invest in complementary public transport and travel information schemes,” he said in a speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research.

At least when the new roads fill up with traffic it may be possible to track all users — including cyclists and pedestrians. A report in Transport Times (Nov 4) reveals that the Government is testing technology that monitors road users using the radiation from mobile phone masts.

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