Abstract:

Since 1975, the Roads and Traffic Division has been faced with the problem of a rapid increase in traffic hold-ups at the beginning of the holiday periods. The aim of the Roads Division was thus to obtain a better spread of holiday departures through actions with the object of: 1. Spread over time by making available in 1976, 2500 km of alternative routes for the Route Nationale 10 and 8,500 km of alternative route in 1977 over the country as a whole. The aim was to bring about a change in the intended times of departure of the French holidaymaker; 2. Spread over space through the results of a survey on 80,000 drivers giving intended times of departure, day by day, by periods of three hours and by Departement. The aim was to persuade drivers to take the alternative routes set up to ease pressure on the crowded main roads.