Sarah Champion MP Welcomes Government Review of All Lanes Running Motorways

Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, has welcomed a Government review into All Lanes Running Smart Motorways.

During Transport Questions, Sarah called upon the Government to stop the rollout of All Lanes Running projects, which see the hard shoulder permanently converted into a live lane. The Transport Committee raised serious safety concerns about such schemes in 2016.1 In response, the Government committed to launch a review.

Sarah highlighted the death of her constituent, Jason Mercer, who was killed on the All Lane Running section of the M1 in South Yorkshire, alongside a fellow motorist. Sarah has campaigned to stop All Lanes Running projects alongside Mr Mercer’s widow, Claire.2

Commenting on the announcement, Sarah said:

“I am delighted that the Government has committed to review All Lanes Running. The so called ‘Smart Motorway’ is nothing of the sort. By removing the hard shoulder, a vital safety refuge is lost. The Government was warned about the dangers of these schemes by the Transport Select Committee in 2016, three years before Jason’s death. But they chose to press on with increasing capacity on the cheap, at the expense of the safety of motorists.’

‘Jason’s death need never have happened. No one else should have to suffer as Claire has. I hope that the Government will now see sense, prioritise motorists’ safety and stop these dangerous projects.”