, Member of Parliament for
Rotherham has called on the Prime Minister to honour his word on
pledges to ban new smart motorways. During his leadership
campaign, branded smart motorways
‘unsafe’. A spokesperson for his leadership campaign added that
Mr Sunak would ban new smart motorways and invest in improved
safety features for existing schemes.(i)
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Sarah said:
“To date, 79 people have been killed on Smart motorways’
‘Last January, the Government said it would pause their roll-out’
‘The Prime Minister has said, “smart motorways are unpopular
because they are unsafe. We need to listen to drivers and stop
with the pursuit of policies that go against common sense.”’
‘Since then, 3 new schemes have gone live with 3 more expected
shortly.(ii)
‘Prime Minister, especially during a cost-of-living crisis, – how
do you justify pushing ahead with these death-trap roads?”
Responding, the Prime Minister said:
“Safety on our roads is our absolute priority and we will do
everything we can to make sure drivers do feel safe.’
‘Last year, we in fact paused the rollout of smart motorways not
already in construction while we consider the data and next steps
and in the meantime, we have committed almost £900m for safety
improvements across the entire network.”
Sarah’s intervention follows a Parliamentary debate she hosted
last week in which she set out the dangers of all-lane running
motorways, in which the hard shoulder is converted to a full-time
running lane.
Speaking during that debate, Sarah said
“How much evidence do the Government need? How many more people
have to die? How many more families are left to grieve their
loved ones?’
‘We cannot continue to gamble with the lives of motorists.’
‘Removing the hard shoulder greatly increases the risks for
motorists. Technology meant to ensure their safety is unreliable,
incomplete and ineffective.
Commenting, Sarah said:
“In pausing the rollout of new smart motorways, the Government
has acknowledged that there are serious questions about safety
that need answers. has himself previously branded
them unsafe.’
‘But despite this, new schemes continue to come online and
constituencies like mine are left hosting death-trap roads.’
‘Only last week, on the very day I spoke in Parliament, key
safety technology was out of action for several hours.’
‘It is high time that the Government acknowledged its mistake and
restored the hard shoulder across the motorway network.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
i
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11128903/Rishi-Sunak-says-hell-brakes-smart-motorways-prime-
minister.html
ii M4, Junctions 3-12 began operation in December 2022. M6
Junctions 13-15 began operation in August 2022. M27 Junctions
3-12 began operation in December 2022. M1 Junctions 13-16, M6
Junctions 21a-26 and M56 Junctions 6- 8 are all scheduled to
complete construction by Spring 2023.
