Volume Of All Classes Of Road Traffic Decline Unexpectedly In 2006 In Northern Ireland

[hatrack]

AN UNEXPECTED fall in road traffic across Northern Ireland may have been because of high fuel prices, a road expert has said. Figures released in the Assembly show that traffic volumes on all classes of road fell in 2006 — following years where the trend had been inexorably upwards.

Responding to a question from East Antrim MLA Ken Robinson, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy said that the motorway network saw the greatest reduction in traffic — a fall of 2.54 per cent during 2006. Traffic on B class roads was down 2 per cent and vehicles on trunk roads fell by 1.26 per cent. The smallest reduction was on A class roads where the fall was 0.19 per cent.

Roads Service said it believed the fall in traffic was largely down to drivers making alternative plans to avoid major roadworks on the motorway network.
The figures are estimates based on vehicle counts at 270 sites across Northern Ireland.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, said he believed the figures for the rest of the UK showed similar falls in traffic. “During July and August 2006 there were what was perceived to be very high prices for fuel,” he said.

EDIT

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Decrease-in-traffic-due-to.3631624.jp

[kestrel91316]

1. "Unexpected" - as in "no one could have forseen"??