ANGRY motorists have criticised a decision to hold a road travel survey during rush hour.

Traffic was gridlocked in both directions along Pilsworth Road on Tuesday evening (Sept 30), between Manchester Road and junction three of the M66.

The census was organised by the Greater Manchester Transportation Unit, along with the Highways Agency, Passenger Transport Executive and the 10 district councils of Greater Manchester.

Harry Johnston, managing director of R & G Construction in Prestwich, became stuck in the jam after leaving his business on Heywood Road.

Not only did it take him more than an hour and a half to complete his usual 35 minute journey home, but Mr Johnston says the scheme could have ended in tragedy as emergency vehicles would not have been able to get through the traffic.

Mr Johnston said he could not believe it when he realised it was a census. "What possessed someone to decide to bring the whole of Pilsworth to a complete standstill at 5pm?"

He added: "People would have been unable to leave the jam. What would have happened if there was someone who needed medication at certain times stuck in the jam? There could have been a tragedy. People should be informed about things like this."

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Transportation Unit said: "We are seeking the help of the public in completing travel surveys in order to assess and, subsequently, improve Greater Manchester's transport system over the coming years. The survey on Pilsworth Road did cause traffic queues for which we apologise. "We do all we can to avoid inconvenience to members of the public and queues are monitored by the police and by the survey contractor's supervisor. We do not advertise surveys in advance as this can lead to people changing routes to avoid anticipated delays. This means that we measure abnormal travel patterns, making our results unreliable."