A survey of usage of the two-way section of Hospital Street by vehicles was undertaken during July 2003. Vehicles were logged during one hour periods in a scatter throughout weekdays with no sessions duplicated.
The direction of travel was noted and a total of 1,042 vehicles recorded.

The initial objective was to try to identify firms whose vehicles are the most frequent users of this stretch of road in order to approach them with information about the by-pass routes and a request that these routes should be used in future.

Conclusions

1. 498 different firms (50%) were logged in addition to 196 unidentified vehicles (20%), which includes 8 horseboxes and 6 heavy tractors with trailers.

2. Of the above named firms 353 were logged only once, and a further 84 were logged only twice; a total of 437 recordings. After allowing for unmarked vehicles 54% of vehicles logged used the route twice or less.

3. 7 firms registered a total of more than 1.0% of total vehicles logged.

These were:

It is thought by this Association that writing to these firms would have no significant impact on the problem.

4. There is a consistently higher number of vehicles travelling in a Westerly direction (57 %) compared with an Easterly direction (43%).
This finding, combined with the high number of casual users, highlights that the root cause of the problem lies in incorrect road signing.

5. In excess of 80 vehicles per hour were recorded during the heaviest periods and the average was 38 vehicles per hour.

6. Whilst vehicles were logged travelling along Hospital Street, observers were also aware of large numbers of heavy goods vehicles (which were not logged) which are in the habit of using London Road, Crewe Road, Millstone Lane/Barony, and Wellington Road. These vehicles are clearly "through traffic" and ought to be using the by-pass route.
Whilst Hospital Street is probably the most seriously affected the problem of misuse of roads by heavy vehicles affects the whole town.