Motorists face years of worsening traffic jams, campaigners say

The average person spends 35 minutes a day in a car, but this will rise to 42 minutes a day by the end of the decade, the Way To Go coalition said.

It has urged the government to revamp its 10-year transport plan.

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said the government is spending �180bn to improve the system by 2010.

'State of crisis'

But the coalition insists the DfT should place greater emphasis on improving public transport, encouraging cycling and spending more on congestion charging schemes and bus lane networks.

It says the projected increase in congestion - based on predictions of a 17% rise in traffic levels - will mean people spend an extra 35 hours a year either behind the wheel or in the passenger seat.

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The coalition argues the measures could help reduce traffic levels nationally by up to 10% and it is urging people to send postcards to the government supporting its campaign.

The coalition consists of 25 major environmental and social justice campaign groups, including the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Friends of the Earth, the national cyclist organisation - the CTC and the National Federation of Bus Users.

Friends of the Earth Executive Director Tony Juniper said: "Everyone apart from the Government accepts that Britain's transport system is in a state of crisis.

"The Way to Go campaign gives a clear vision of what we need to do to tackle this crisis and reduce transport's impact on the environment."

'Lasting improvements'

Stephen Joseph, executive director of the pressure group Transport 2000, said the current transport system was "unsustainable" and that changes were needed.

"The way to go for transport is to make it much easier for people to leave their cars behind, especially for local journeys, by investing far more heavily in walking, cycling and local public transport."

But a Department for Transport spokeswoman said the majority of the measures advocated by the coalition were already part of its 10-year plan.

She said the government's �180bn allocation to improve transport by 2010 was a 45% increase in real terms over the previous decade.

She said: "There are no quick fixes.

"Sustained investment year on year is the only way we will make up for decades of under investment and bring about lasting improvements for travellers and businesses alike.