TRAFFIC on Britain's first toll motorway has fallen for the fourth month in succession.
Average traffic on the 27-mile M6 Toll last month was 47,057 vehicles per day, statistics from operator Midland Expressway Ltd showed.
That represented a fall of 8,315 vehicles per day since the peak in August.
On weekdays last month an average of 50,311 cars and lorries used the road - down 8,029 from its peak in July - while there were 14,119 fewer vehicles in November than in August.
Tom Fanning, managing director of MEL, claimed the weekday figures showed the toll motorway was becoming more popular with commuters. "As anticipated, seasonal factors have had an impact, with weekend journeys most affected, but this is a reflection of traffic patterns generally at this late time in the year as drivers face deteriorating weather and shorter daylight hours."
Mr Fanning said the past month had seen another increase in the number of road users opening tag accounts, the M6 Toll's electronic payment system which enables drivers to pass through toll stations without stopping.
Use of the road by lorries had also continued to climb steadily as more hauliers took advantage of the trial discount rate of £6 plus for heavy goods vehicles.
