Oxford 'records highest rise of traffic congestion'

Date: 5/10/2011

The sharpest increase in traffic congestion within UK cities has been noted in Oxford.

Research carried out by global positioning system navigation device manufacturer TomTom has found that in the last six months, the university city has risen from sixth place to third in the table of the most congested areas in the country.

Indeed, the firm claimed that 31.2 per cent of Oxford's main roads suffer from jams.

The second highest increase in congestion over the half-year period was recorded in Belfast, followed by Bolton, Southampton and Sheffield.

Overall, London topped the table for the UK city that is most traffic-clogged, followed by Scotland's capital Edinburgh.

A spokesperson for TomTom claimed that if more motorists made use of live navigation systems - which regularly provide updates on traffic volumes to help drivers plan their route - there would be a reduction in journey times within congested areas.

The House of Commons Transport Select Committee suggested last month (September 15th) that measures including utilising the latest intelligent traffic management systems and increasing the use of real-time information could help to tackle the problem of congestion.

Posted by Mary Treen