HGV traffic in Great Britain dropped to just 25% of its normal levels at the height of the lockdown in April, but had almost bounced back to pre-Covid levels by July, new figures reveal.
Department for Transport statistics showed light and heavy commercial vehicle traffic returned to at least 100% of their typical levels before cars and all other forms of transport.
The Easter weekend of 10-13 April marked the lowest levels of HGV traffic and thereafter they remained at between 60-75% of normal levels before steadily rising to 101% by 4 July.
By the first week of September, HGV traffic was regularly above 100% of an equivalent day for each day of the week.
Chris Douglas, technical director of freight transport at consultancy firm WSP, said that the figures showed that even at its lowest levels, HGVs were still very active on the roads and were likely to be those servicing food retail and other essential services.
“No doubt about it, in lockdown and the immediate aftermath there was a massive hit in activity,” he said.
“But over time, the tap turned on again.”
Douglas added: “There is a positive in that as the tap turned on again in different sectors, things have reverted back; there is no obvious missing sector.
“It bounced back to the average February baseline.”
