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(page revised 2 February 2010)
M6 TOLL - Daily Traffic

  • The first full month was January 2004. The traffic follows a seasonal pattern, peaking in the summer.

  • There have been toll increases in August 2004, June 2005, January 2007, January 2008 and January 2009 and another is due in March 2010. The increases have had little immediate effect on traffic, indicating that there is a hardcore of drivers who seem to be unaffected by the price.

  • Traffic peaked in the third quarter of 2004, and then reached a slightly higher peak in the third quarter of 2006 helped by road works on the equivalent stretch of the untolled M6 from June till December 2006.

  • The seasonally adjusted figures show that the use made of the road has been reducing since early 2007. This seems to be mainly caused by increased reluctance of drivers to pay any toll even if it may save them time. There is no sign of the traffic growth that the Company must be hoping for - unless the Government creates more congestion on the free M6.
    The annual average of daily traffic reached a new low (38,519) in the fourth quarter of 2009, but the decline seems to have bottomed off.

  • Charts below are based on the M6 Toll company's figures (below each chart). The first chart and set of figures is the annual moving average of traffic levels. The second chart and set of figures is quarterly. Though the numbers seem high, when compared with the 200,000 vehicles a day on the untolled M6, the tolled road is empty. Most drivers are sending a message to the politicians that they will avoid toll roads when they can.

    Chart M6 Toll - Daily Traffic - Moving average


    Chart M6 Toll - Daily Traffic - by quarter

    Qtr Daily Traffic Working days Daily Traffic Other days Daily Traffic ALL days % Change from qtr before % of peak qtr % Change from year ago
    Q4 2009 42,921 28,745 38,607 -8 71 - 2
    Q3 2009 45,002 34,426 41,898 6 77 - 3
    Q2 2009 44,557 29,464 39,581 16 72 - 5
    Q1 2009 39,105 22,055 33,990 -13 62 - 11
    Q4 2008 43,939 28,640 39,283 -9 72 - 12
    Q3 2008 46,931 33,755 43,064 3 79 - 12
    Q2 2008 47,249 29,005 41,635 9 76 - 13
    Q1 2008 43,828 25,697 38,050 -14 70 - 10
    Q4 2007 48,474 34,570 44,401 -9 81 - 13
    Q3 2007 52,601 40,535 48,929 2 89 - 11
    Q2 2007 53,658 36,385 47,964 14 88 3
    Q1 2007 47,487 29,335 42,243 -17 77 4
    Q4 2006 56,115 39,904 51,005 -7 93 15
    Q3 2006 58,276 46,667 54,743 18 100 18
    Q2 2996 51,349 36,503 46,455 14 85 2
    Q1 2006 45,393 28,997 40,657 -8 74 -4
    Q4 2005 48,814 34,627 44,342 -5 81 -7
    Q3 2005 49,208 40,227 46,573 2 85 -14
    Q2 2005 49,889 36,358 45,726 8 84 1
    Q1 2005 46,565 33,749 42,435 -11 78 18
    Q4 2004 50,774 40,415 47,621 -12 87  
    Q3 2004 56,257 49,455 54,261 20 99  
    Q2 2004 48,289 38,782 45,155 26 82  
    Q1 2004 38,396 29,751 35,831   65  



  • Up to June 2006, the Company issued monthly traffic figures:-

    Month Daily Traffic
    Working days    		 Daily Traffic
    Other days    		 Daily Traffic
    ALL days    		 % Change
    from
    month before    		 % of
    peak month    		 % Change
    from
    year ago    		   Daily Traffic
    a Year ago
    Jun-06 51,959 38,401 48,344 7 87 7   45,325
    May-06 50,314 34,444 45,195 -1 82 same   45,274
    Apr-06 51,811 36,954 45,868 +6 83 -2   46,591
    Mar-06 47,726 30,033 43,160 +2 78 -6   45,961
    Feb-06 46,660 31,190 42,240 +15 76 -2   42,917
    Jan-06 41,632 26,414 36,723 -13 66 -5   38,474
    Dec-05 47,499 32,633 42,224 -5 76 -7   45,548
    Nov-05 48,852 32,844 44,583 -4 81 -5   47,056
    Oct-05 50,027 38,246 46,227 0 84 -8   50,242
    Sep-05 48,523 39,076 46,004 -2 83 -12   52,042
    Aug-05 48,872 41,816 46,824 0 85 -15   55,361
    Jul-05 50,279 39,719 46,873 3 85 -15   55,308
    Jun-05 48,544 36,474 45,325 0 82 -6   47,987
    May-05 50,365 36,020 45,274 -3 82 6   42,864
    Apr-05 50,845 36,667 46,591 1 84 4   44,690
    Mar-05 49,626 38,266 45,961 7 83 16   39,619
    Feb-05 46,571 33,780 42,917 12 78 15   37,307
    Jan-05 43,344 29,620 38,474 -16 69 25   30,662
    Dec-04 49,146 37,992 45,548 -3 82      
    Nov-04 50,311 38,106 47,047 -6 85      
    Oct-04 52,887 44,686 50,242 -3 91      
    Sep-04 53,604 47,745 52,041 -6 94      
    Aug-04 56,855 52,225 55,362 0 100      
    Jul-04 58,340 47,896 55,308 15 100      
    Jun-04 50,414 41,311 47,986 12 87      
    May-04 46,924 36,436 42,862 -4 77      
    Apr-04 47,247 39,575 44,689 13 81      
    Mar-04 41,880 33,120 39,620 6 72      
    Feb-04 40,304 30,648 37,308 22 67      
    Jan-04 32,763 26,249 30,662   55      

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