Traffic congestion costs capital businesses dear
THE COST of traffic congestion to Cardiff businesses has increased by £1.5m in the past year to more than £10m, according to research.
Latest figures revealed as part of the TomTom Traffic Index reveal congestion is costing Cardiff businesses around £10,795,680 a year in lost productivity, up from £9,323,050 in last year’s study.
The figure was calculated by multiplying Cardiff’s average of 119 hours lost in traffic by £7.20 (the national minimum wage for workers aged 25 and over), by 12,600 light goods and heavy goods vehicles operating in Cardiff (according to DVLA statistics).
It comes as a multi-vehicle crash caused lengthy delays yesterday morning on one of Cardiff’s busiest roads – the A4232. One person was taken to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, after a four-vehicle crash on the northbound stretch between Culverhouse Cross and Cardiff West Services on the M4 at around 7.35am.
The research by TomTom says that traffic in Cardiff increases the time each vehicle spends on the road by an average of 119 hours a year (up from 115), which means an average commercial vehicle driver wastes more than 15 working days sat in traffic.
The biggest financial hit was felt in London, where £264m is lost to traffic each year, followed by Manchester (£169,256,880) and the Birmingham area, including Wolverhampton (£144,184,320).
Cardiff council says the increase is likely due to the number of people commuting into the city increasing from 84,000 to 90,000 every day.
Beverley Wise, director UK and Ireland for TomTom Telematics, said: “Traffic remains a serious issue for business and the resulting delays have potential implications for productivity, customer service standards and even employee wellbeing.
“Unfortunately, congestion levels continue to rise and the UK economy is paying the price for this at a time when the landscape is already challenging enough, with the growth rate now expected to be just 1.5% this year.
“But although solutions to the wider traffic problem are incredibly complex, businesses can take action now to mitigate its effect by using data to develop smarter working schedules and shift patterns that help employees avoid driving at peak times.
“Technology such as telematics can help in the move towards a more dynamic model of routing and scheduling that uses data on traffic and journey times to develop plans that minimise time on the road and can be quickly adapted in reaction to delays or changing circumstances.”
Robert Fowler, owner of Cardiffbased RGF Haulage, said: “Drivers can get held up in a build-up of traffic caused by things like accidents or school traffic. Congestion does impact on the business because we are trying to get from A to B.
“The price of fuel is going up and it obviously affects the amount of petrol you use. It can affect the business financially and put you behind.”
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “If sitting in jams wasn’t painful enough, the hit to the national economy is eye-watering. Levels of congestion are only increasing, so governments need to invest in pinch points and main routes to try and alleviate the current pressure on our roads.”
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “Road traffic estimates show motorists in Britain drove a record 252.6bn vehicle miles in 2016, which is a 2.2% increase on the previous year, so this is bound to have a negative impact on congestion.
“Not being able to get around due to blocked roads has a knock-on effect for business, with employees being late for work, appointments being missed or delayed and deliveries not arriving on time.”
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “The data provided by TomTom shows that Cardiff fares well compared to similar-sized cities in the UK, but the increase shown in the survey this year is likely due to the number of people commuting into the city increasing from 84,000 to 90,000 each day.
“The council is committed to tackling this problem. In the New Year a Green Paper will be brought forward on sustainable travel. This will be a consultation exercise with the public to develop sustainable forms of travel around the city.”