Car dependency chokes on itself

On one stretch of London’s orbital motorway, roadworks have caused 118 years of hold-ups in only 12 months, according to official figures.

Delays between junctions 16 and 23 – from the M40 exit to the A1(M) at South Mimms – were up 60 per cent last year, the biggest increase in Britain.

Drivers endured combined hold-ups of more than one million hours, nearly 43,000 days or 118 years. That’s up from 648,000 hours, 27,000 days or 74 years in 2008.

The M25 is known as the biggest car-park in Europe because of the volume of congestion.

Works on a major road-widening scheme were to blame for the delays, said the Transport Department and its Highways Agency.

No, those diseased, car-sick institutions the Transport Department and the Highways Agency were responsible. They continue to subscribe to the delusion that you can build your way out of congestion with new roads and ever greater car dependecy.