AA scooters to beat congestion

12 April 2012

City centre congestion is now so bad that AA patrols are to use electric scooters and motorbikes to get to breakdowns.

The three-month trial - in central London - coincides with the publication of figures showing that Bristol has even worse average traffic speeds than the capital.

The Bristol average was 16.8mph compared with London's figure of 16.9mph, although the central London figure is just 10mph.

The city speed league table was compiled by the AA in conjunction with traffic information company Trafficmaster.

The next-slowest city was Glasgow (where average traffic speed is 17.3mph), followed by Southampton and Liverpool (both 17.8mph) and Manchester (18.8mph).

To run until June, the new-style patrol trial in central London is the first time the AA has used bikes to attend breakdowns since the mid-1990s.

The AA reckons the bikes will be able to reach central London breakdowns up to 25% quicker.

AA president Edmund King said: "On busy city roads, one flat tyre can delay thousands of motorists and further aggravate congestion. By cutting through traffic, AA bike patrols will reach breakdowns more quickly and get our members and other drivers back on the move with the minimum delay.

"We need radical action to beat record slow traffic in our cities and decided that two wheels are quicker than four. By fixing breakdowns more quickly, we will improve service to our members, and help reduce congestion and emissions.

"Our analysis of traffic speeds in major cities shows that congestion is not just a London problem, with Bristol bottom of the league, and Glasgow, Southampton and Liverpool less than 1mph quicker than London."

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