Campaigners fear traffic congestion will spiral out of control this week

Campaigners have voiced concerns that congestion on roads across the country could spiral out of control as parents struggle against road works to get their children to school.

The beginning of the new school year comes alongside the drive for workers to return to the office and motoring organisations claim the situation is a perfect storm, according to The Telegraph.

Roadworks have plagued Britain’s roads in the last month as councils move ahead with widening pavements and constructing cycle paths as part of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ £250million ‘Green Revolution’.

AA’s head of roads policy Jack Cousens has warned that congestion could reach its peak upon the return of the school run.

He told the Telegraph: ‘There has been an ongoing backlash from residents, businesses, taxis and traders, but while councils have introduced restrictions with the best of intentions, the lack of consultation has been very poor.

‘We understand why councils wanted to increase space coming out of lockdown to allow social distancing, but now we appear to have reached the point where that is becoming impractical as schools and workers try to return to normality.’

According to the AA’s website, there are 1,193 roadworks currently being undertaken in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

RAC’s own head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes has said that ironically, the measures put in place by councils to reduce traffic disruption could cause a greater level of congestion.

He said: ‘Councils should be monitoring schemes closely and should be prepared to make change if gridlock ensues.’

A recent AA survey found that as many as one fifth of parents won’t allow their children on public transport because of coronavirus and this could see an increase in traffic of up to 10 per cent. 

A Government spokesperson also confirmed that £40million has been given to local councils to expand capacity outside of public transport.

The plans launched by Grant Shapps in May are aimed at boosting greener methods of transport across the country.

Pop-up bike lanes with protected space for cycling, wider pavements, and cycle and bus-only corridors are part of the £250 million scheme.

Earlier this month it was also reported  that there was also growing unrest over the changes to street landscapes in areas such as Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Crystal Palace in South London.

Islington Council intends to turn a third of its roads into ‘people friendly streets’ by the end of 2020 using bollards, no entry signs and cameras to close ‘rat-runs’.

Responding to claims the road closures were ‘anti working class’, Islington Council leader Richard Watts tweeted: ‘Car ownership in inner-London is linked to income.

‘The richer you are, the more likely you are to own a car. Truth is we’re stopping affluent people polluting working class communities.

‘The protests on Upper Street are being coordinated by an outside group and many of the attendees aren’t Islington residents.

‘I welcome that in shutting off the street to traffic they’re showing how nice traffic free streets can be.’

Elsewhere, more than 1,500 people signed a petition urging Cambridgeshire County Council to scrap an Experimental Traffic Orders road closure in Mills Road.

And campaigners in Oxford are also at loggerheads with the county and city councils over proposed temporary ‘bus gates’ in the centre of the city.

Councillors plan to install two bus gates in central Oxford in September which will operate from 7.30am to 6.30pm seven days a week.