Increasing the size of motorways and building more roads has reduced the pressure of traffic jams in the Netherlands, according to transport ministry figures.

The figures, which transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen will send to parliament on Monday, show traffic congestion fell 3.5% over the past four months even though the volume of traffic increased.
Extra lanes on the A2 and A12 helped lead to shorter journey times, the report shows.
The government has plans to add an extra 800 km of roads and new lanes by 2014 to reduce traffic congestion further.