Millions of miles driven on North Wales' roads taking toll on health and environment

Drivers are clocking up millions more miles across North Wales every year, sparking fears over the impact on roads, health and the environment.

In 1993 cars, lorries and motorbikes racked up nearly 2,650 million miles in total driven across the region, statistics by the Department for Transport showed.

But by 2016 that had risen to 3,285 million miles – an increase of more than a quarter.

All six North Wales counties showed an increase over that period with Flintshire up from 702 to 841 million miles; Conwy 458 to 583, Denbighshire 354 to 440; Gwynedd 524 to 632; Anglesey 217 to 298 and Wrexham 390 to 491.

Longer commutes to works, more business journeys and a lack of planning for public transport have been cited as reasons for the rise.

Mark Shankland, managing director of AA Tyres, said although traffic growth was declining “car traffic rose to an all-time high of 252.6 billion vehicle miles (UK wide) in 2016.

He added: “With commuting and business trips contributing to the largest share of personal car traffic, it’s clear that drivers are more regularly covering the sort of mileage that used to be reserved for long summer trips.”

Stephen Joseph, chief executive for the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “There is a lack of planning housing and business developments alongside transport, which leaves many people with no choice but to drive.

“It has an impact on the environment, roads, the economy and on health with air pollution a serious factor limiting people’s lives.”

Calls have been made to improve North Wales main dual carriageways the A55 and the A483.

On Friday Welsh Government Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates, commissioned a study into A55 improvements which sees more than 70,000 cars using parts at peak times.

The Welsh Government is also looking at the A483 through Wrexham.

A Wrexham council spokesman said: “We are always looking for ways to improve the road network infrastructure and we will continue to work with Welsh Government to ensure the needs of the travelling public are met within the finances available to us.”

Steve Jones, Flintshire council’s chief officer Streetscene and Transportation said they monitored the road network to see where improvements can be made including work at Queensferry with the Welsh Government looking at the A494 and the A548.

“Reduced dependency on car journeys via a modal shift to alternative forms of travel will provide a sustainable long-term solution and the Council is again working with Welsh Government to develop proposals for the North East Wales Metro and to find a local solution for access to Deeside Industrial Park, which will assist in reversing current increasing trends of vehicle usage in the area,” he added.

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