COVID-19: Traffic on some UK roads more than before the pandemic | UK news

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Travel data shows there are more cars on the road this summer than ever before during the pandemic.

In fact, traffic on some major roads has risen above pre-pandemic levels, according to data from navigation technology company TomTom.

Since COVID-19-related restrictions were eased in the UK, people have become more mobile which has led to an increase in car use.

There have been more cars on Britain’s roads every weekend since early June than at any time during the pandemic.

Passenger routes such as the A1 from Peterborough to Edgware in north London saw more weekday and weekend traffic in July compared to 2019.

Bury New Road in Manchester, which was one of the busiest roads in the UK in 2019, had 9.6% of cars on weekdays between 8am and 8pm.

The Great Western Road, one of Glasgow’s main trade and transport routes, also recorded an 18.5% increase in vehicles compared to 2019.

Some of the roads that record the biggest increase in traffic are around popular holiday destinations. The A30 to Cornwall saw a 47% increase in cars traveling in July compared to the same month in 2019.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that as many as 9.4 million trips abroad were made in August 2019.

Current rules around international travel mean there will likely be millions more people in the UK than usual this summer, with many choosing to vacation at home.

Satellite imagery produced by Planet Labs for Sky News shows empty parking lots at London Gatwick this summer compared to the busiest images of 2019.

But it’s not just the holidays that have contributed to the rise in the number of cars on the roads.

Experts point out that the impact of the pandemic on our lifestyles is also a factor.

“Three national shutdowns have upended the UK’s commuting habits,” said Roe Roberts, country director of Google-owned mobile navigation app Waze.

“We are more dependent on our cars than ever, trips made for leisure, travel and errands exceed pre-COVID levels by around 130%, and there is a 20% increase in pre-lockdown traffic levels.”

While the number of cars on the roads has mostly recovered, bus and rail use across Britain is still close to half its pre-pandemic level, according to government data.

Nearly two in five people in the UK are still hesitant to use public transport, according to a survey published by the trade journal Railway Technology.

This is despite the rail infrastructure operator’s rail network finding no traces of COVID in air samples at major stations across the country earlier this month.

If confidence in public transportation increases, this may offset the increase in car use.

Likewise, if international travel becomes easier, there will likely be fewer people in the UK and on the roads next summer.

The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent Sky News journalism.

We collect, analyze, and visualize data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite imagery, social media and other open source information. By telling stories in multimedia, we aim to better explain the world while showing how our journalism works.

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