Bradford sees biggest rise in lockdown traffic across England
Journeys have risen 41% since the first lockdown
Last updated 20th Feb 2021
The amount of traffic in the current lockdown compared to the first lockdown has risen higher in Bradford than anywhere else in the country.
New data shows that during the first lockdown, which began in March 2020, car journeys on Bradford roads were just over 40 per cent of the level seen a few months earlier (January 2020).
But during the current lockdown, which started early last month, this figure has risen to around 84 per cent – despite advice to remain at home for all but essential journeys.
The rise of 41 per cent is the largest seen in any of England’s major cities.
Bradford Council says the figures reflect the fact that Bradford is a “key worker city” – and that many people have been unable to work from home.
But one Councillor has pointed out that many of the drivers will be people who are simply ignoring advice.
The figures are included in a report into how the West Yorkshire region is coping with the pandemic, which will go before the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board on Wednesday.
The data comes from technology company Apple – and is based on the amount of people using maps on their devices at various periods during the Covid pandemic compared to January 2020.
It shows that the highest level of traffic in any city during the three lockdowns was in Bradford during the second lockdown, which took place in November.
In that four week period traffic in Bradford was over 90 per cent its normal levels.
In neighbouring Leeds, traffic levels were just under 40 per cent in the first lockdown – rising to around 70 per cent in the current lockdown.
Nationally traffic fell to around 32 per cent of normal levels in the first lockdown, and is currently around 62 per cent normal levels.
The report says: “Activity levels for driving and transit are considerably higher during lockdown three than lockdown one in all cities where data is available.
“Locally, Bradford appears to have the greatest driving activity difference between lockdowns three and one but Leeds is in a similar range to other cities.”
In the current lockdown no other major English city except Bradford saw traffic levels above 80 per cent of normal.
A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “The Government restrictions in lockdown 3 have been different to lockdown 1, with more businesses and services able to be open in Covid secure ways.
“Bradford is a key-worker city and these figures would seem to indicate that a large proportion of the district’s residents have continued to go out to work throughout the lockdown. Some roles such as health care, retail, food manufacturing and distribution have been essential to keep the country running during the pandemic.
“However we do ask employers to make arrangements for people to work from home wherever possible.”
Councillor Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem, Bradford Moor) has previously raised concerns about high traffic levels in the city during lockdown.
On hearing the new data he said one cause of the high levels of traffic was young drivers ignoring advice to stay at home.
He said: “There are rogue elements, younger members of society who couldn’t care less. They have no respect for their own lives and others’ lives. We’ve failed to tackle this for far too long. It is about time we resolved this”
He said another issue was the high numbers of people who work in service industries in Bradford – people who can not stay at home.
Cllr Ahmed said: “My take is the furlough system was more for the middle classes not the working classes. They have to keep going to work, people like shop keepers and bin workers. That is also the reason we’ve had high numbers of Covid cases in Bradford.
“The chancellor needs to realise a lot of working class people haven’t benefitted.”
The same report also looks at the number new business accounts opened in recent months, which shows how many new businesses are opening across West Yorkshire.
In January 51.1 businesses out of every 1,000 in Bradford were liquidated – the highest figure for any area of West Yorkshire and up from 9 per 1,000 in January 2020.
The figure was its highest in October, when over 18 businesses out of every in 1,000 in Bradford were liquidated.
However, there are also some signs of recovery.
In the last three months of 2020 the number of small business accounts opened in Bradford was 969. This is a 23 per cent rise from the same period last year, and the biggest rise in the West Yorkshire region.