MPs say 拢6bn smart motorways programme could pose major safety risks

MPs have attacked the government鈥檚 plans to use hard shoulders as live lanes for traffic as part of its 拢6bn smart motorways programme, saying it poses major safety risks.

The transport committee said the permanent loss of the hard shoulder in all lane running schemes was a 鈥渞adical change鈥� and, given the major safety concerns, 鈥渁n unacceptable price to pay for such improvements.鈥�

Transport committee Louise Ellman said: 鈥淭he permanent removal of the hard shoulder is a dramatic change. All kinds of drivers, including the emergency services, are genuinely concerned about the risk this presents.

鈥淚t is undeniable that we need to find ways of dealing with traffic growth on the strategic network. But All Lane Running does not appear to us to be the safe, incremental change the Department wants us to think it is.

鈥淲hile 鈥榮mart motorways鈥� have existed for years, this is fundamentally different. Government needs to demonstrate that All Lane Running schemes do not make the road any less safe that the traditional motorway with a hard shoulder.鈥�

The government has argued all lane running is an incremental change and a logical extension of previous schemes.

Previous schemes have only used the hard shoulder at peak times or to deal with congestion.

Simon Benfield, team director: bridges south, at Ramboll commented: 鈥淭he hard shoulder on motorways represents a perception of safety that is greater than the reality. All that separates the hard shoulder from 70mph traffic is a white line.

鈥淒espite projecting a sense of safety, over 1,500 people are killed or injured every year on the hard shoulder [鈥

鈥淏y adopting Smart Motorways over traditional widening it is possible to provide improvements in many more areas around the network thus providing a positive improvement for many more people.鈥�

Topics