TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN URBAN AREAS: THE PRESENT POSITION.

As urban areas continue to grow in size, and as road travel continues to increase, traffic congestion will extend over larger areas for longer periods of the day. This will result in substantial social, environmental and economic costs. An integrated and co-ordinated five pronged approach is necessary to tackle the problem of increasing traffic congestion. It involves developing comprehensive traffic management of existing arterial roads and local area traffic management schemes (LATMs), as well as encouraging the use of public transport. Travel demand management and the construction of selected new high capacity urban arterial road links are also of vital importance. The progressive implementation of such approaches should result in a reasonable level of safe, efficient and effective mobility, with an acceptable balance between the harmful effects of travel and its benefits in urban areas in the future.