Fears more smart motorways are on the way after Transport Secretary Mark Harper described them as ‘safe’ – just weeks after PM Rishi Sunak branded them the complete opposite
- Transport Secretary Mark Harper contradicts Rishi Sunak branding them unsafe
- Smart motorways have hard shoulder removed and turned into another lane
- The PM has been accused of betrayal after not acting on pledge for a ban
The Transport Secretary has controversially described smart motorways as ‘safe’, raising fears ministers will try to justify building more.
Mark Harper’s comments contradict those made by Rishi Sunak during the Tory leadership race this summer, when he branded the roads ‘unsafe’.
The Prime Minister has since been accused of betraying grieving relatives of drivers killed on the roads after not acting on his pledge for a ‘comprehensive ban’ on new smart motorways.
The roads have their hard shoulder removed and turned into another live lane, meaning drivers can be marooned in live traffic and hit from behind.
In his first newspaper interview since taking the role, Mr Harper said ministers will wait for five years of safety data before deciding whether to scrap them.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has controversially described smart motorways as ‘safe’, raising fears ministers will try to justify building more (pictured on November 8)
The roads have their hard shoulder removed and turned into another live lane, meaning drivers can be marooned in live traffic and hit from behind (Smart motorway in west Yorkshire)
But because some didn’t open until the end of last year, it means a decision may not be made until 2026.
Pressed on whether he thought they were safe, he said: ‘If you look at the data collected so far, that would suggest they are safe.’
Claire Mercer, whose husband Jason was killed on a smart motorway in 2019, said: ‘These roads are exactly the opposite of safe.
‘If you had to stop on a smart motorway would you rather do it on a hard shoulder or in a live lane of traffic. That’s what it comes down to, regardless of the data.’
In the summer Mr Sunak 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.’
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