THE rate of traffic congestion slowed in the last quarter of 1997, but jams still cost British businesses more than £2.1 billion. Trafficmaster's 'Motorway Congestion Index' for the last three months of last year reveals that more than 43 million man-hours were lost compared with more than 45 million in the final quarter of 1996, involving more than 62 million vehicles (1996: 64.5 million) and costing £2.1 billion (1996: £2.17 billion).

The M25 continues to be the worst motorway in the country, where in three months, more than 16 million man-hours were wasted in time, resources and lost appointments. And the M6 between junction six and 11 has become a notorious hotspot, according to Trafficmaster, with 4.4 million vehicles stuck in traffic in the last quarter costing UK businesses more than £150 million - £50 million of which was due to problems at junction 10.

Milton Keynes-based Trafficmaster attributed the decline in the rate of traffic congestion - a rise of 2.6% in 1997 compared with an increase in 1996 of 4.8% over 1995 - to the public debate on the problems caused by congestion.