The Metropolis

When does an 8% increase in traffic equal "fewer cars"? When the BBC cocks up its figures

Mike Pollitt | Friday 3 June, 2011 15:29

●

The headline reads ‘Fewer cars’ as London congestion charge zone cut back. Except there aren’t fewer cars in the scrapped Western Congestion Zone, there are 8% more. Just because a rise is smaller than expected, that doesn’t mean it’s not a rise.

Fortunately, the Beeb’s Tom Edwards is a better journalist than the hapless hack behind the headline, because in his piece on the figures he nails it:

“The bottom line for drivers in that area is that it now takes longer to drive somewhere and there’s nearly 10% more traffic.”

Filed in:

Snipe Highlights

Some popular articles from past years

  1. Nice Interactive timeline lets you follow Londoners' historic fight against racism
  2. Margaret Thatcher statue rejected by public
  3. Peter Bayley has worked for 50 years as a cinema projectionist in East Finchley
  4. Diary of the shy Londoner
  5. The best church names in London, and where they come from
  6. Punk brewery just as sexist and homophobic as the industry they rail against
  7. Hope and despair in Woolwich town centre
  8. London has chosen its mayor, but why can’t it choose its own media?
  9. Random Interview: Eileen Conn, co-ordinator of Peckham Vision
  10. The five best places in London to have an epiphany