Traffic levels on the rise

Car traffic levels rose by 1.3% between 2000 and 2001, although the amount of goods traffic fell by 0.2% over the same period.

Although the government figures are likely to fuel concerns that the UK's infrastructures are becoming increasingly overloaded, ministers insist the rate of traffic growth is slowing.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said traffic levels were consistent with the extra million people who have started work in the last four or five years.

He said: "The rate of increase is a lot lower than in the past. The fundamental problem is that we have 25 years of investment to catch up on."

Higher bus use

The figures also show motorway traffic jumping by 1.6% between 2000 and 2001.

The lowest rise was on minor rural and country roads - 0.2%.

Much of this is blamed by the Department of Transport on the effect of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Mr Darling said he was encouraged by higher bus use, particularly in London, and interest in trials of congestion charging.

He said: "We have to make sure there is a public transport alternative in place.

"In London use of buses has gone up 15% over the last few years, which is encouraging.

"We have to recognise there is a limit to how much concrete we can pour across the country."

Paul Watters, from the Automobile Association (AA), said it was no surprise that traffic was increasing across the board.

He said: "What is important is where it is increasing and motorway traffic has risen by 80% in ten years.

"That really does drive the message home that we need to keep the motorways working."

Mr Watters said a key concern was the state of A roads which are taking a large volume of traffic but do not always meet the highest design standards.