Our Congested Roads The road traffic census carried out by
the Automobile Association last month raises serious problems which, unless they are firmly grasped in time, will become much more serious,. • The total number of vehicles enumerated during the week at certain fixed • points. in 1031. was 2,645,881 ; that in ..1035 -Was- .4,3K669.. This' dri•killg increase, in the numbers checked is much -greater pro- portionately than the increase in .the actual number of cars• registered, which means that every ear-owner is using his car a great deal more than he 'did. The .Secre- tary of the Automobile Association, indeed, states rather surprisingly that " the use of the roads by modern traffic is growing ten times faster than the corresponding expansion in the number of motor vehicles. registered.'? However that may be, what matters is the volume of traffic, and it is perfectly clear that that is 'increasing far more rapidly. than the capacity of. the roads to carry it. . Road . construction figures in most schemes devised for. the reduction.. of unemployment. Actually an extensive road programme is essential for its own sake alone, regardless of the effect it may have on the labour market, but it is obvious that at a time when every sound scheme for absorbing labour should be .exploredo,: road-construction must share the first place with housing'
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