The text below represents the text provided by the TPS Chair to an article in the business section of today's Times.

Keith Buchan, Chair of the Transport Planning Society was quoted in the article, available here (to subscribers).

Keith points out that "the figures for London traffic were so “severely” out that it raised questions about the rest of the country. At a conference in July, attended by transport officials, the audience laughed at the department’s London forecasts, he said. “They [the DfT] are talking about trying to review it”.

Mr Buchan added that pension funds should want to “clear up” the forecasts before investing in road projects. “If the Government wants to announce a scheme within 12 months, they will be hard pushed to audit, reform and improve the traffic model [in time]. It’s quite possible we have built, and are planning to build, some road schemes that aren’t worth the money. At the moment it’s taxpayer money, which is why no one gets sued.”