Rotherham MP calls for hard shoulder to be reinstated on M1 after Smart Motorway pause announced

The roll out of new smart motorways has cancelled as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged concerns about safety and cost.

Fourteen planned smart motorways – including 11 that are already paused and three earmarked for construction – will be removed from Government road building plans.

The Department for Transport said the construction of these schemes would have cost more than £1 billion.

Existing stretches will remain, but be subjected to a safety refit to provide 150 more emergency stopping places across the network.

Sarah Champion, Rotherham’s Labour MP, said: “The decision not to proceed with new smart motorway schemes is a welcome one.

“I have worked for years in Parliament to highlight the risks of these deadlyroads and I am delighted that no new all lane running roads will be constructed.

“This is a testament to the work of campaigners like Claire Mercer, who, in the face of her own tragic loss has worked tirelessly to improve safety for all of us.

“While I am pleased that new smart motorways will not be built, this does nothing to address the serious concerns about existing roads, including the M1 in Rotherham.

“Removing the hard shoulder greatly increases risks to motorists. Technology that is supposed to keep us safe is ineffective and unreliable.’

“The Government should commit immediately to restoring the hard shoulder across the motorway network and I will continue to fight until they do.”