Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for sustainable transport, Councillor Jackie Taylor, is issuing advice for road users this autumn to help traffic move more freely across the borough.
The advice comes as mornings are getting darker and the nights are drawing in earlier.
Councillor Taylor is advising residents to check for roadworks in the area and perhaps set off earlier in the morning to make sure they are not rushing to get to their destination.
Councillor Jackie Taylor, cabinet member for sustainable transport, said: “I am urging motorists to plan journeys before they leave home and to perhaps set off earlier and allow enough time to get to where they need to.
“We have a handy tool on our website where residents can check what roadworks are in the area which gives details of the nature of work as well as the estimated timescales.
“We are hopeful Highways England will finish their roadworks on the M5 in the coming months which should hopefully mean fewer people will choose to use Sandwell’s roads to avoid the motorway.”
Sandwell Council’s gritting crew will be on call from mid-November but will go out before then if needed.
Councillor Taylor added: “As the weather gets colder we will rely on our gritting crew to go out to salt the roads to make them safer for motorists. Nobody enjoys scraping their car in a morning but make sure you leave enough time to remove ice or frost from windscreens and other windows.
“A great way to avoid having to scrape the ice from the car is to look for an alternative way to get around. We have a vast and varied public transport network in Sandwell so I would encourage people to look to catch the bus, the Metro or the train.”
Sandwell Council has a number of bus lanes which improve journey times for public transport. There are a number of train stations in Sandwell and the Midland Metro serves West Bromwich, Smethwick and Wednesbury.
Councillor Taylor also reminds people to reduce their carbon footprint by looking for greener ways to travel. She said: “Maybe for shorter journeys consider walking or cycling. It’s a great way to keep fit and stay healthy and will also reduce your carbon footprint.
“If there is no alternative to the car for your journey then please consider car sharing.”
For details of roadworks in Sandwell, go to www.sandwell.gov.uk/roadworks.
