Another frantic lockdown rush hour on the busy M54

Anyone travelling on any of the major routes in Shropshire and the West Midlands will testify to the fact that they are very far from deserted.

This image shows the M54 in the morning rush hour, the streaks of red and white lights showing the progress of motorists filling the carriageways.

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Traffic in the latest lockdown has dipped by about 24 per cent in our region under the latest restrictions imposed as we battle the new strain of the illness. But back in March last year, traffic levels dropped by almost 80 per cent and main roads passing through our region were virtually deserted.

The level of road travel has dismayed experts who say more should be done to persuade the population to take the latest lockdown seriously by reducing unnecessary journeys and working from home where possible.

While there has been criticism at the level of traffic on the roads, we are doing better than some of our counterparts in Europe.

In Germay, lockdown has only seen traffic reduce by two per cent in big cities like Berlin. Traffic levels have also only dropped by seven per cent in France and five per cent in Russia.