A MAJOR review into Worcester's congestion is making progress - with key data revealing the city's worst roads for jams being poured through.

A special Worcester City Council taskforce, set up with the aim of coming up with new recommendations to ease the jams, has now obtained detailed stats on the volume of traffic on key routes.

The panel of councillors, who have also planned talks with highways officers at County Hall, will use the data as part of their evidence gathering in coming to their conclusions.

Your Worcester News can also reveal how the group want to meet with health experts to discuss "air quality issues" in the city, to get a steer on the best and worst areas.

It follows concern about Lowesmoor, which earlier this year was identified as having the worst air pollution in the entire county, breaching European limits.

All vehicles apart from buses and the emergency services are now prevented from using Lowesmoor to reach the city centre without first detouring around Silver Street.

The city council's panel is also expected to meet with emergency services again to get a better understanding of the dilemmas they face at peak times.

Labour Councillor Geoff Williams, a former deputy leader of the authority, said: "We met in August (the panel members) to look at the work we want to do over the next few months.

"One part of it will be a public survey into people's perceptions of traffic in Worcester and we want talks with pedestrians about it, as well as cyclists and motorcyclists."

The updated plan was presented to fellow councillors at a meeting of the scrutiny committee at the Guildhall.

Conservative Councillor Derek Prodger, who also sits on the taskforce, said: "When we talk about congestion, there's not an easy solution.

"But one thing I think will make a difference is Worcestershire Parkway, I know it's some way off but when that is open it will make a contribution, you'll get 500 cars heading over there to use it."

Back in June we revealed how the city council had produced a 12-page summary of feedback on Worcester's congestion after talking to the likes of businesses, colleges, taxi drivers, the Freight Association - any third party with an insight into the impact it has.

Their suggestions included everything from reducing the number of parking spaces and congestion charging to red routes, upping parking prices and better bus services.

The county council is the highways authority.