Hounslow has the busiest roads in Britain, recording 232.2 vehicles per hour for each kilometre of road, according to data from the Department of Transport.
The figures, from a study by promotional products firm Pens.com, shows the borough has 50 times more traffic than the UK’s quietest roads.
It comes amid a raging debate across South West London – and beyond – over Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) which has pitted some local councils against motorists.
While Hounslow featured first, it was not the only local authority in South West London to make the list of Britain’s busiest boroughs.
| National Rank | London Rank | Local Authority | London Region | Vehicles Per Hour Per KM | Daily Vehicles Per KM |
| 1 | 1 | Hounslow | South West | 232.2 | 5,572.60 |
| 7 | 4 | Kingston upon Thames | South West | 197.8 | 4,747.20 |
| 25 | 9 | Kensington and Chelsea | South West | 163.60 | 3,925.80 |
| 35 | 10 | Hammersmith and Fulham | South West | 155.40 | 3,730.20 |
The other high scorers were: Kingston upon Thames; Kensington and Chelsea; Hammersmith and Fulham.
Hounslow’s vehicles per hour per KM was a 17% increase from second-place Kingston which recorded 197.8.
Conservative councillor Ron Mushisho, who has represented Chiswick Gunnersbury ward in Hounslow since 2018, said the statistics do not surprise him.
Mushisho said: “Hounslow sits alongside one of the world’s busiest airports. That inevitably brings traffic, whether from residents, workers, visitors, freight operators or airport-related journeys.
“What does surprise me is the persistent belief in some quarters that simply building more cycle lanes or restricting more roads will somehow make cars disappear”
LTNs have been a contentious issue in Hounslow for half a decade.
In October 2021, a watchdog found that the council had “ignored older residents’ needs” when they closed roads in order to promote cycling to young people.
Just over a year later in November 2022, Mushisho chaired a ‘particularly heated’ Chiswick Area Forum where residents were given the opportunity to express their views on the LTN.
“The overwhelming message from residents was that they did not support the scheme.
“However, the council administration at the time dismissed those concerns, arguing that its own data told a different story.
“The people most affected were often school-run parents, elderly residents trying to access local services, workers commuting to their jobs, taxi and private hire drivers, and visitors unfamiliar with the restrictions.
“Poor signage only compounded the problem, resulting in many motorists receiving fines without fully understanding the changes.”
Despite the outcry over the LTNs, the Conservative councillor argued that transport policy should not become a culture war.
Mushisho said: “Most people are not ideological about transport; they simply use whatever mode of travel best suits their circumstances on a particular day.
“I own a car and I own a bike – get over it!”
Looking ahead, Mushisho believes LTNs must be judged upon their own merit, while the system for challenging fines needs to be “fairer” and “more accessible”.
“The system should not feel like a revenue making exercise”
Regarding the watchdog’s conclusion in October 2021, council leader Cllr Steve Curran said: “The LGO made clear that any concerns were with record keeping, not the decision to close roads to through traffic.
“The report finds ‘the council’s Streetscape policy provided a sensible framework at short notice for how it would identify and implement schemes designed to achieve the Government’s objectives’ and that as ‘Government expected councils to actively look for opportunities to make changes to roads that might influence a change in road use habits’ there was, ‘no fault therefore in the use of a tool… actively seeking out such schemes’.
“Finally, the LGO makes clear that injustice to the complainant was limited to any distress arising from uncertainty. The council has accepted that and will issue an apology to the complainant which we are happy to repeat in public.”
Featured image credit: Kieran Everson
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