· Traffic on Britain's roads has more than doubled over the past 25 years, while the road network has expanded by just a fifth. (Figures provided by the Department for Transport)

· Congestion is said to cost the national economy £20 billion a year, and is forecast to rise 11-20 per cent by 2010. (CBI/DfT)

· Over the past decade bus use has fallen by 10 per cent, while train travel has risen 20 per cent without any significant track expansion. (DfT)

· The railway authorities are currently spending £2bn over budget on the network, one fifth of which is overdue for replacement. (Network Rail)

· Train passengers are delayed on one in five trains, and the length of delays has increased. (Strategic Rail Authority)

· The cost of motoring is proportionately the same as it was in 1974, but the cost of using bus and rail services has risen 80 per cent. (RAC Foundation for Motoring)

· British rail users pay the highest fares in Europe - two thirds more than in Germany and France and three times the prices in Spain. (Liberal Democrats)

· Traffic congestion, fumes and noise are the biggest area of public concern about the environment. (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, quoted by RAC)