Hauliers, logistics and retail companies are helping to drive the business recovery in the Midlands, according to new figures revealed by the M6toll.
According to exclusively released traffic data from M6toll, there has been a 65% increase in business and commuter traffic from June to August, with heavy goods vehicles making up a large proportion of the rising numbers on the road.
The spike in HGV numbers on the M6toll is being driven by hauliers, logistics and retail companies seeking to achieve business efficiencies through a reliable and efficient alternative to the rising congestion on the region’s roads.
Overall traffic levels for all types of vehicles using the M6toll from June to August have increased by 31%, providing further evidence of the gathering pace of the regional recovery as the Midlands comes out of lockdown.
Further encouraging signs come from weekend traffic volumes, with an 11% increase recorded. It’s a trend driven by increasing numbers of local drivers taking to the M6toll for short journeys to local attractions and amenities, helping to both boost the regional economy and ease localised congestion.
It’s a recovery aided in recent weeks by the launch of the Let’s Get The Midlands Moving campaign, as initiative designed to support Midlands people and businesses as they emerge from the pandemic.
As a key campaign partner, the M6toll has assisted in getting more goods and materials moving around the UK by halving the cost for freight and haulage companies registering as new account customers and using the road end-to-end for the first three months.
The M6toll has also helped Midlands workers and businesses by halving the cost of many local journeys for all vehicle types exiting at local plaza junctions, right up until 31 August.
Andy Cliffe, M6toll Chief Executive, said: “Our latest data paints a very positive picture, with the increases in both business and leisure traffic providing strong indicators that the Midlands is beginning to move again.
“With traffic levels rising since June, our Let’s Get The Midlands Moving campaign has been well timed to help businesses and workers quickly and reliably cut through the increasing congestion and achieve business and time efficiencies.
“The high proportion of HGV vehicles using the road during recent months demonstrates how the M6toll is providing a reliable and efficient route for haulage, logistics and retail companies seeking to cut through the increasing congestion on the region’s road network.
“Overall, the signs are very encouraging with increasing numbers of firms and their workers returning to the Midlands’s roads and the Let’s Get The Midlands Moving campaign playing its part in helping to drive the regional recovery.”
The campaign has been welcomed by a raft of regional MPS whose constituencies border the M6toll including Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, Lucy Allan, MP for Telford and Julian Knight, MP for Solihull.
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, whose constituency sits at the heart of the Midlands logistics hub, said: ““I welcome the role that M6toll and the ‘Let’s Get The Midlands Moving’ campaign are playing in supporting the economic recovery in Tamworth and the West Midlands more widely.
“The growth in the amount of traffic using the road over the summer shows the support that M6toll is providing to enable local businesses and commuters to return to work, something which has been further aided by the discounts available through the campaign.
The Let’s Get The Midlands Moving campaign is also being backed by a wide range of Midlands businesses, including Tamworth based Lloyds Transport and Warehousing.
Tim Jordan, business development executive at Lloyds Transport, said: “For us, timely deliveries are absolutely critical for the business.
“Not only does it mean we fulfil our promises to our customers, but it’s important for the requirements of our own business too. Some of our vehicles are double-manned, so any delays also have a knock-on, ripple effect for our drivers waiting for the truck.
“We fully support the Get The Midlands Moving Again campaign and it’s great to see it playing such an important role in driving the regional business recovery.”
The Hermes Group, which has experienced huge growth in demand due to soaring online sales, is another company benefiting from using the M6toll in recent months.
Hermes UK’s Head of Fleet, Mervyn McIntyre, said: “We welcome the launch of the Let’s Get The Midlands Moving campaign and fully support its aim to revitalise the regional economy.
As we emerge from lockdown and traffic levels again begin to rise, having a reliable and time efficient route such as that offered by the M6toll is crucial to our business model.
“We have recently announced plans to recruit 10,500 extra staff, mainly due to the phenomenal growth in online shopping during the pandemic. This campaign will be a timely boost to those new staff out working to meet this demand across the regional road network.
Of course, alongside increased volumes of traffic, we are continually monitoring the efficiency of our fleet and exploring the use of alternative fuels, for example, to manage and where possible minimise our emissions.”
Trade and business organisations including the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Greater Birmingham and Black Country Chambers of Commerce have also pledged their support. Various local authorities including Staffordshire County Council, are also behind the campaign.
