Taxi drivers being used to model difficult traffic systems helping ease congestion, reveals Leader of House

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Taxi drivers are being used to model difficult traffic systems to help ease congestion, revealed the Leader of the House.

In an innovative approach to combatting traffic congestion, taxi drivers are being enlisted to help model complex traffic systems. The common sense revelation came from the Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt MP, during a session in the House of Commons.

The discussion started when the North Devon MP, Selaine Saxby, highlighted ongoing concerns about the Cedars roundabout at the edge of Barnstaple, which is currently undergoing 20 weeks of roadworks intended to alleviate congestion.

Saxby reported significant delays experienced by students, teachers, and local businesses due to the roadworks, criticising the lack of adequate traffic management and modelling. She sought guidance on government assistance or national schemes that could support improved traffic flow modelling in her constituency.

Responding, Penny Mordaunt, MP and Leader of the House, expressed sympathy for the situation and pointed to successful initiatives elsewhere in the country where local businesses impacted by similar schemes received compensation.

Mordaunt also highlighted innovative practices, such as using taxi drivers to model traffic flow and identify issues like traffic light sequencing problems.

The approach might be seen as a creative solution to long-standing congestion issues, leveraging the real-time insights of taxi drivers who navigate these roads daily.

Mordaunt MP said: “In my patch, we have taxi drivers who model traffic flow and tell us where there are problems with, for instance, traffic light sequencing. There are many innovative ideas out there, and I would encourage my hon. Friend’s local authority to look at them, but I shall also ensure that the Secretary of State has heard about the situation in her constituency.”