The Government sought advice from the Commission for Integrated Transport. Their report was published on 29 November 1999. This drew on initial provisional results from technical work by DETR and consultants WS Atkins on estimated future levels of traffic, congestion and pollution. A full account of the technical work, including WS Atkins' report, will be made available as soon as possible. This report includes estimates of the effect of the Government's policies on congestion.
Congestion means different things to different people.
Implementation of the Integrated Transport White Paper must reflect local needs and views. So we need to consult with local authorities, business and others responsible for implementing the policies at local level on what is actually achievable over the next decade, rather than just set arbitrary targets. The need for congestion reduction is clearly different between, for example, rural Herefordshire and the centre of Bristol. We also want to provide a cross-check against which local authorities and others can monitor progress over time. We cannot solve congestion overnight.