The bar chart illustrates the average daily number of car journeys into the city centre made by residents and non-residents between 1996 and 2005.
Overall, journeys made by residents showed a clear downward trend, particularly after traffic control measures were introduced. In contrast, trips by non-residents generally increased at first before declining later, and by the end of the period non-residents made more journeys into the city centre than residents.
In the late 1990s, residents were the main group travelling by car into the city centre, with their figures remaining relatively high and stable. During the same period, the number of journeys made by non-residents rose steadily each year, narrowing the gap between the two groups. This suggests increasing reliance on private cars among people living outside the city.
However, after parking meters were introduced in the city centre, resident car journeys dropped sharply. This downward trend continued in the following years. Although non-resident journeys initially remained high and even peaked in the early 2000s, they also declined noticeably after key streets were closed to traffic. By the final year shown, both groups made fewer trips than before, but non-residents still accounted for a higher number of car journeys overall.