Traffic Calming 'Ineffective'

• News
• Published: 09 Sep 2009 in Motoring and Car Insurance

Simple improvements to car engineering could be more effective at restricting carbon dioxide emissions than the excessive traffic-calming measures introduced by the government and local councils, the AA has announced.

Edmund King, the president of the organisation, said measures like improving fuel efficiency could have a more potent effect than "grandiose projects" costing millions of pounds such as congestion charging.

Speaking at an energy, environment and transport forum in London, he had strong words of criticism for speed zones and park and ride schemes, arguing both had been either poorly implemented or inadequately assessed.

Among Mr King's suggestions for improvements were more efficient phasing of traffic lights, encouraging cycling, routing buses to better suit the travel needs of potential users, better organisation of street works and alleviating traffic pinch points.

He said: "If we are smart about urban transport we can reduce CO2 and congestion without spending millions. Congestion and CO2 can be reduced by improving traffic flow through co-ordination of road works, phasing of lights and good parking policy.

"If we continually obstruct traffic with excessive traffic calming, we will increase congestion and CO2. New technology to improve fuel efficiency will be the biggest contribution to reducing CO2 from road transport."