Families were today urged to make greater use of the region’s public transport network after a survey revealed that Birmingham is now more congested than the notorious traffic hotspots of Rome and Naples.
Birmingham is the 15th most congested city in Europe, and is one of 16 UK cities in the European top 50, according to the survey by satnav giants TomTom.
The survey comes hard on the heels of Department for Transport figures which show that congestion in the West Midlands is now so bad that the average traffic speed is less than 20mph.
Alex Burrows, head of strategy at Centro, the region’s transport authority, said the surveys showed that congestion, coupled with soaring fuel costs, could be best combated by using public transport.
“Surveys such as this show that the old way of thinking – just hopping in the car no matter how short the journey – needs to change,” he said.
“Congestion in the West Midlands costs the regional economy £2.3 billion a year, but much can be done to tackle this if people switch to alternative means such as public transport, cycling and walking.
“Plus, with rising petrol prices there’s never been a better time for people to leave the car at home and make the switch. They will also help cut pollution and carbon and improve their fitness.”
Birmingham was joined by Oxford, Belfast and Bradford in the TomTom survey top 20.
London had the worst congestion in Britain, with just under 35% of the capital’s roads regularly suffering jams despite the congestion charge.
It was third overall in Europe behind Brussels, which came top, then Warsaw.
The Department for Transport figures found that in the Midlands Wolverhampton was the most affected by congestion, where motorists averaged a speed of 16.9mph to cover one mile, against the national average of 26.1mph.
This was followed by Sandwell at 17.2mph, then Birmingham (17.3mph), Walsall (19.1mph) and Dudley (18mph).
The best rates were recorded in Solihull (29.5mph) and Coventry (24.7mph), but in all areas traffic is slower than it was six months ago.
In April, Centro unveiled its Local Transport Plan – a 15 year blueprint to improve public transport and tackle congestion across the West Midlands.
The plan, drawn up in partnership with the seven West Midlands metropolitan councils, includes dealing with congestion on the road and motorway network, tackling social exclusion in rural areas where dependence of the car is high, improving accessibility to housing and employment areas and improving connections with rapid transit schemes such as the Midland Metro.
Other measures include enhanced walking and cycling networks.
Alex Burrows said the giant strides being made in improving public transport and connectivity in the West Midlands meant there was a viable alternative to the private car for short journeys.
He said: “The schemes being put forward by Centro are about providing better road and rail connections so it is easier for people to access jobs, education health and leisure opportunities
“There is still a long way to go but encouraging people to think of alternative forms of transport to the car means a reduction in congestion and pollution, which in turn improves the quality of life for people by supporting and enabling economic growth and the creation of new jobs.”
