Census causes traffic chaos

Thousands of motorists suffered horrendous delays during the morning rush-hour on a major West Midlands route today as they were stopped for a traffic census.

Highways staff handed out forms on the A449 Stafford Road close to the Junction with the M54 at Fordhouses, near Wolverhampton, targeting early-morning traffic.

The bottleneck was made worse by long-term roadworks which have closed off a lane on both carriageways.

A £2.6 million scheme to install traffic lights on the motorway roundabout, due to be finished this month, is also in progress.

Roadmarkings are also being painted on the roundabout as part of the work.

Motorists heading north for the motorway and Staffordshire were stuck in queues stretching back to the Goodyear factory in Oxley.

It is believed to be the last of a series of investigations in the Wolverhampton City boundary being conducted by the Department of Transport.

An army of surveyors have been questioning drivers about their journeys.

One driver, 50-year-old Karen Knowles, who was travelling into Wolverhampton from her home near Telford, said: "It was mayhem. Why they have decided to target this road when the roadworks are already causing dreadful problems, goodness only knows."

For several weeks motorists around the region have been pulled over on their way to work to be asked such questions as what type of fuel they use, and where they are going.

Bosses say the £900,000 project, which is being funded by the region's councils, Centro and the Highways Agency, has been designed to get a better understanding of how roads and rails are used so money can be better spent in the future on highways projects such as motorway widening and high-speed train links.

Council bosses have previously defended the census, but motorists have been left angry at the delays the surveys have caused.