Desperate plea to ease gridlock in Exeter

Businesses in Exeter have made a desperate plea to Devon County Council to help ease gridlock in the city.

A wave of new housing developments and companies expanding mean the streets have become some of the most congested in the whole region.

Business owners now say it's affecting the ability of staff to do their jobs.

Traffic in Exeter has steadily worsened over the last decade.

This means that the city is now ranked as one of the most congested in Europe, with drivers spending an average 10% of their time at the wheel stuck in gridlock

One extreme example occurred last Wednesday when a lorry overturned blocking the A38 on Haldon Hill. It resulted in travel chaos, as vehicles were diverted into the city centre at rush hour.

Lisa Frost helps manage the Beefeater pub and restaurant on Countess Weir, a congestion hotspot in the city, and says these major traffic incidents are affecting her business.

Those who monitor traffic in Exeter say there needs to be a rethink of the city's transport infrastructure, as it expands to accommodate hew homes and businesses.

Glen Woodcock from Exeter City Futures says we need to some different approaches to tackling the traffic problem.