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TRANSPORT ISSUES

Facts:
WALES EXPOSED AS CAR CAPITAL OF EUROPE From the Western Mail June 2004

  • Wales roads 8,956 vehicles per km,
    GB roads 8,504 vehicles per km.
  • Wales traffic rose 4% 2001-2002
    GB traffic rose 2.5% 2001-2002
  • Biggest rises
    • Anglesey 41.4% (increase in 6 years to 2002, following the opening of the A55 Expressway to Holyhead)
    • Monmouthshire 31.4%
    • Bridgend 16.2%, Swansea 15.8%,Newport 13.1%, Neath Port Talbot 12 % (The problems are especially serious for the M4 corridor in S Wales.)
  • 74% Welsh households own a car
    73% English households own a car
    66% Scottish households own a car
  • Wales road accidents increased 3.5% in 2002 [fallen again in 2004]
    GB road accidents fell by 6.4%
Opinions on transport

'The new housing estates of Bridgend are simply suburbs of Cardiff’ '

‘there has been very little investment in transport’,

‘school runs affect transport, as there is more choice to allow pupils to go to which school they want so more cars are on the roads at rush hours’.

Professor Garel Rhys.

'Costs of public transport in Wales continue to rise whilst cost of motoring have remained stable’

‘Schemes such as the opening of the Vale of Glamorgan train service, reannounced by the Welsh Assembly this week only scratch the surface’


Information on transport issues

Use of Public Transport in Wales 1999-2005

  1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Local bus service passenger journeys (millions) 114 116 104 110 111 113
Rail passenger journeys (millions) 16.6 17.0 18.1 18.7 19.5 ~
Passengers using Cardiff International Airport (millions) 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.9 ~

Purpose and type of travel in Wales [%]

                     

Commuting
and business

Education and
escort education

Shopping

Other
personal business

Visit friends

Leisure

    All
1991-3                
Car
Walk
Other

90
1
9

41
7
52

82
4
14

88
2
12

86
2
12

79
3

83
2
14
2002-3                
Car
Walk
Other

85
1
15

50
6
44

89
2
9

93
2
5

87
2
11

78
3
18

84
2
14
Source: 'Welsh Transport Statistics' from Welsh Assembly Government.


Mode of travel to school and average trip length of 5 -16yr olds in Wales

  1989-1993 1993-1997 1997-2001 2002-2003
Car

22%

26%

29%

36%
Walk

48%

41%

41%

32%
Av. Length [mls]

2.5

3.0

2.5

2.7
Source: National Travel Survey
Try This!
Use the facts and tables to describe transport in Wales.

  • Describe the use of public transport over this period
  • Give the main reasons for travelling
  • Is using the car for commuting increasing?
  • Describe the changes to the percentage of pupils travelling to school by car
Compare these national statistics with your own area. Search www.wales.gov.uk, find the statistics section, then sub section ‘transport’. Does your own area have a higher or lower volume of traffic than the average for Wales?

Suggest your own ideas for reducing car transport
            Related Sections:
Case study : Traffic congestion in Cardiff