The route to ease jams

Apr 18 2006 By Evening Gazette

It sounds dead simple - if we get people to car share when travelling to work then there will be a lot less traffic clogging up the region's roads.

This is the suggestion mooted by the Highways Agency, which is under fire for practices that are putting key regeneration schemes at risk.

It uses Article 14 orders to prevent councils taking a decision on a planning application until it is happy about the impact on roads.

The tactic, the subject of The Evening Gazette, The Journal and North East Chamber of Commerce Go For Jobs campaign, is estimated to be costing the region £1bn in investment and 10,000 potential jobs.

Now the agency is urging workers to change the way they commute to help the region's roads.

Around 17,000 workers at a Tyneside industrial estate are being encouraged to share lifts to work to cut congestion

And companies who apply for planning permission for new buildings there will have to produce a travel plan showing how their staff will get to work.

But it is not that simple. For instance, there are three of us who work in editorial at the Gazette who live near each other in Darlington.

Perhaps we should all pile into one car. But this is not possible as we all start and finish at different times.

I am aware such schemes can be a success.

A friend of mine formed a "car club" which ran successfully for several years.

At its peak it had five members, which meant each person only drove once a week - making big savings in petrol, wear and tear as well as reducing impact on the environment.

While anything that can help ease traffic jams should be applauded, car sharing schemes are not enough.

We need major investment in road improvements to make sure that regeneration schemes come to fruition and that the region's roads do not grind to a halt.