According to traffic research company Inrix, drivers in London spend more than 12 working days stuck in rush hour traffic annually. This comes as vehicles last week spent 11 minutes to cover 750 yards in one location. Road congestion in the capital has soared 40% in four years.
Attributed to the rise of “white van” deliveries of internet shopping, growth in minicab hailing apps like Uber alongside poorly planned roadworks and separate cycle lanes are blamed on the gridlock. Separate Transport for London figures shows buses travel through parts of the West End at an average of 3.8mph. The average speed of buses in the Square Mile - the City of London - is 4.5mph.
Under Boris Johnson’s tenure as mayor many road schemes were approved, including the network of grated cycle “superhighways”, which cause disruption during their construction, and then recused road capacity once built. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry has told Sadiq Khan to think of radical ideas to tackle road congestion, including permanently ripping up the superhighways.
