- The Observer,
- Sunday September 15 2002
Dr Denvil Coombe, who is advising the Government over widening the M1 and M25, said Ministers were poised to unleash massive road building programmes without including any measures to limit traffic. He told The Observer : 'There is not a cat in hell's chance of reducing congestion as the 10-year transport plan exists - you cannot build your way out of it, and I do not know why they are trying. Rush hour jams are going to last all day by 2010.'
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, in an exclusive interview with The Observer, denied major roadbuilding plans, however, and said congestion would be reduced 'steadily' with a balance of 'road improvements' and better public transport. But he could not 'tell the public when the trains will run on time'.
Darling ruled out motorway tolling for 'at least a decade' but said he supported the idea in principle, as well as more bus lanes, the spread of speed cameras and other forms of traffic restraint in cities. He said London Mayor Ken Livingstone's congestion charging plan 'deserves a lot of credit' and, if successful when introduced next Febru ary, should spread to other cities as 'the direct descendant of the yellow line'.
He also signalled that the Government will ban the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving by next spring, with a big publicity campaign to follow on from the traditional Christmas drink-driving blitz. Drivers caught holding a mobile at the wheel will be slapped with a penalty of between £30 and £2,000.
'Most people accept that if you are holding a mobile phone in one hand and having an animated conversation, your attention for the road is diminished. We are concerned,' he said.
The Government's most senior external transport advisers praised the move and agreed they were encouraged by Darling's warmth towards public transport and the issue of road pricing. 'It's a breath of fresh air,' said Professor David Begg, chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport.
But Begg joined other experts in challenging Darling's core point that he can 'steadily improve congestion' - saying he would need to be much more radical.
Stephen Joseph of pressure group Transport 2000 said forthcoming road plans not only threatened an explosion in traffic levels by up to a fifth but, even before being built, would spark the kind of mass protests that saw Middle England voters join forces with eco-warriors in the Nineties.
The Observer revealed earlier this month that 2002 will be the worst ever for congestion. Coombe, an independent consultant, will present his report to Darling on Thursday. Coombe would not comment on the report but other sources indicated it is likely to recommend widening the M1, A1 and M62 to up to four lanes in each direction. But, crucially, this should only be on condition that motorists will be charged to use the roads in future and subjected to 'demand management' measures such as traffic lights on sliproads on to the motorway.
Coombe's report on the M25 will also arrive on Darling's desk within the next two months and is also likely to approve widening to a total of eight lanes throughout - and 12 lanes near Heathrow Airport - but again with plans to curb traffic growth now and toll later.
But Coombe said he strongly suspected the Government would simply build the roads, increasing capacity by up to a quarter, without any traffic limits or tolling plans.
'Widening the M25 without traffic-demand management is like digging a ditch in a bog - it fills up as fast as you dig,' he said. 'Unless traffic growth is controlled, public transport improvements and roadbuilding will not solve congestion.'
