Transport Select Committee Member, Karl McCartney MP (Conservative, Lincoln) and long-time opponent of so-called “Smart” motorways, believes that the Government decision to delay more all-lane “smart” motorways for five years does not go far enough. He believes the existing lanes and those under construction should be scrapped too.
Furthermore, following the Transport Select Committee’s report1 in Autumn 2021 and further information with regard to the number of deaths and operational failings, Karl has continued to call for a public inquiry to investigate these failings and to hold those involved, including from National Highways/Highways England, to account.
Karl said: “It is clear to everyone, bar the Government and National Highways it seems, that these so-called ‘smart’ motorways are dangerous and all should be scrapped immediately.
“Rather than the Government and National Highways incredulously trying to find out how to make more work, they should instead be holding a public inquiry to investigate the failings of the existing ones. Rather than spending more taxes taken from the pockets of motorists to analyse data they should be spending the money instead of turning the whole scheme off.
“Too many people have lost their lives or had their lives adversely affected because of associated traffic incidents of these needless failures. Hard shoulders should be reinstated before others are involved in serious and further fatal incidents
“It has always been clear to me the whole concept is a lazy, bean-counting, and dangerously-held view of a means of trying to expand motorway capacity without spending any more of the huge amount of money raised by vehicle and fuel taxes. In essence, pound notes have come before people’s safety. Nothing much in the long term will have changed based on this announcement.”
Ends
1. Transport Select Committee: Rollout and safety of smart motorways https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee/news/158468/transport-committee-pause-smart-motorway-rollout-until-safety-can-be-delivered-and-assured/
