TRAFFIC congestion costs the economy £4.3 billion a year.
That’s equivalent to £491 per household where someone commutes by car.
These figures are from the Centre for Economics and Business Research and the traffic information company Inrix. They say that 40% of gridlock costs are in the London area where drivers spend 66 hours a year stuck in jams. Which serves them right for living in London.
Mind you, we are not behind the bike shed in West Yorkshire when it comes to organising traffic chaos.
One unforgettable Boxing Day while on the way to the IKEA sale (yes, perfect planning), my wife Maria and I were stuck in traffic for three days.
The good people of Birstall fed us from soup kitchens and a mariachi band from Gomersal provided entertainment. Well, it seemed like three days.
Then again, if you want to experience a jam just for the heck of it try going to Leeds along the M62 in rush hour which lasts from 6am to 8pm.
Take a flask and a blanket and crayons and lots of paper so you can write messages to those motorists stuck alongside you and exchange mobile phone numbers. You could make a whole new load of friends.
You might as while get something out of it if it’s costing you £491 a year.
