This is how many motorists are still using Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge after the lockdown

City centre traffic movements have increased slightly over the last fortnight after intitially plummeting by nearly two-thirds following the coronavirus lockdown.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

While Sunderland City Council bosses believe there could be legitimate reasons for the recent rise – such as less public transport leading to more key workers using cars - they are

still urging the public to “stay at home, save lives and protect the NHS” during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

New figures released by the authority show that traffic movements in both directions across the city’s Wearmouth Bridge reduced from 25,566 in the week before the March 23 lockdown to 9,675 during the first full week of the restrictions.

Vehicle movements during the ongoing lockdown have risen slightly across Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge in the last fortnight.Vehicle movements during the ongoing lockdown have risen slightly across Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge in the last fortnight.
Vehicle movements during the ongoing lockdown have risen slightly across Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge in the last fortnight.

In nearby St Mary’s Boulevard the daily average number of movements fell from 26,764 to 10,032 over the same period.

Both figures indicate a drop of more than 62% in journeys.

Over the last fortnight, however, the council says that a daily average of 180 more vehicles (9,855 in total) crossed the Wearmouth Bridge, an increase of nearly 1% on week one of the lockdown, with more than 300 extra journeys (10,346 in total), a rise of closer to 2% over the same period, recorded on St Mary’s Boulevard. Sunderland City Council's cabinet member for environment and transport, Councillor Amy Wilson said: "These increases are in line with some of the figures nationally that have seen slight rises in the numbers of vehicles.

“It could be that with less public transport, key workers could be using their vehicles, or after several weeks of lockdown, some people are now having to get out and get more food.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We can record the number of vehicles but we cannot record the reasons why vehicles are out.

"The advice has not changed. Stay at home, save lives, and protect the NHS."

Among the steps the council has already taken to protect the NHS is to close all beach and park car parks to prevent motorists from making unecessary journeys.

The decision was taken at the start of the Easter bank holiday weekend after “issues with a large number of people driving to parks and the city’s beaches”.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

How to subscribe to the print edition:

It’s easy to subscribe to your local newspaper. We have arranged a special 20 per cent off subscription offer for people to take advantage of.

Visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk, choose the newspaper title, the type of subscription and enter your details.