THOUSANDS of motorists are to be quizzed in an operation to decide on the future of one of the major routes through North Yorkshire.

Their journeys along the busy A64 York to Scarborough road will be interrupted when they are stopped and quizzed by teams from the Highways Agency. But officials have insisted that all efforts will be made to keep any delays to an absolute minimum.

The agency intends to interview a total of 14,000 motorists on the route, which can be one of the most congested in the region at peak holiday time.

Each driver will be asked a few brief questions about their journey as the agency attempts to build an up-to-date picture of traffic patterns and usage.

The dates for the operation are not being disclosed as officials do not want motorists to avoid the road on the appointed days.

However, about 7,000 vehicles will be stopped on two separate days at undisclosed laybys.

Police will be used to tell drivers to pull over.

Each of the interviews will take about a minute and, as part of the effort to keep delays as short as possible, up to four interviewers will be employed at peak times so that motorists do not have to wait too long.

The agency said it needs the information to continue developing a route management strategy along the road.

The idea is to help the organisation spend money more effectively, as well as to identify and tackle various issues along the road.

The agency hopes ultimately to make road planning tie-in better with regional transport and planning decisions - and to make sure that local people have their say.

Project manager David Phillips said the survey was essential for their plans.

He said: "We hope drivers will help us. Delays to motorists will be kept to a minimum while drivers are asked a few brief questions."