THE EFFECT OF THE FUEL 'PROTEST' ON ROAD TRAFFIC

The first signs of what became the fuel 'protest' were heard on 5 September 2000 when it was announced that fuel prices were to rise again following a rise in the price of crude oil. The protest ended almost as quickly as it had begun. On Thursday 14 September the Stanlow blockade ended and on Friday 15 September the first deliveries were reaching some garages, although it was estimated that 90 per cent of filling stations were empty of fuel. The effect of the fuel protest on road traffic levels has been estimated using data from the Department's Automatic Traffic Data Collection (ATDC) system. The fuel protest appears to have a greater effect on car traffic than on goods vehicle traffic. (A) For the covering abstract see ITRD E108997.