Average daily car journeys into the city centre from 1996 to 2005

The bar chart illustrates the daily average of car journeys made by residents and non-residents into the city centre between 1996 and 2005. Two major policy changes, the introduction of parking meters in 2000 and the closure of Westgate Street and Park Lane in 2003, are highlighted as key events.

Initially, resident journeys were high, peaking at 9,800 in 1996 and 1998. However, following the introduction of parking meters in 2000, this figure plummeted to 5,000. By 2005, resident journeys had further decreased to 4,000. Conversely, non-resident traffic showed an upward trend from 5,000 in 1996 to a peak of 8,200 in 1999, remaining relatively stable until 2002.

A dramatic shift occurred in 2003, when the closure of specific streets led to a sharp decline in non-resident journeys to 3,000, while resident journeys also fell to 3,900. By 2005, both groups saw a slight recovery, with non-resident journeys rising to 4,900 and resident journeys reaching 4,000. Overall, the data indicates that both policy interventions were effective in reducing the total volume of daily car traffic entering the city centre.