Britain's road network is facing gridlock, the government's transport watchdog has warned.

According to the Commission for Integrated Transport, the government's failure to deliver on its transport policies will result in gridlock on the roads.

Commission chairman David Begg finds that roads are more congested than ever before and that car use is going up - rather than falling in line with the government's targets.

The report also says that the current targets for bus use are "insufficiently challenging". But while bus passenger numbers are in decline with reliability targets unmet, access to bus services in rural areas has improved.

Begg says that there are "worrying signs that the government and local authorities are soft-pedalling on demand management, essential to ensure delivery of the 10 year plan objectives".

"We don't want to throw away the gains that delivery of the ten-year plan will bring for fear of being seen as anti-car. Allowing congestion to grow is the only true anti-motorist policy," said Begg.

The report also warned that the situation could continue to deteriorate.

"Unless we take action to change behaviour at the margins, traffic congestion, particularly in our cities, is only going to get worse," his report says.

"Delivery means a balanced package including both investment and traffic management strategies.

"We can't build our way out of the congestion problem and good public transport, while an essential prerequisite, is not enough."

The report calls on the government to be bolder and suggests the public would back more radical policies on transport.

The report's publication came with the release of a MORI poll revealing that 40 per cent of the public believes that the government gives less priority to transport than a year ago.

And 30 per cent viewed transport as a main problem facing the UK.

Nearly 60 per cent back the controversial policy of congestion charges, if revenues were targeted at improving public transport.

"We have to ask: 'Does the government now support local authorities who want to introduce these congestion and workplace parking charges? If so, it must stand up and say so. A clear message is needed from across Whitehall," added Begg.

On the railways, the report also says that the number of passengers carried by the railways has fallen and bus reliability targets have not been met.

The timetable investment in the railways could prove to be "over-optimistic", the CIT said.

The commission also said that commuter routes into London have become increasingly congested even though the number of rail passengers has fallen.