Govt unveils £150m traffic management plan

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly has unveiled new plans for a new traffic management system which will see £150 million invested into the motorway infrastructure.

The initiative will see a series of new ideas put into practice, including hard shoulder running, varying speed limits and other congestion-cutting methods, with the measures potentially rolled out elsewhere across the country after a successful pilot in Birmingham.

A trial on the M42, has led the government to pursue further measures, with Ms Kelly hailing the impact of “innovative thinking”.

“Important benefits are less disruption from road works, reduced environmental impacts, better information for drivers and a faster, more effective response to accidents,” she commented.

According to government data, the first six months of the trial on the M42 yielded significant benefits.

Using the hard shoulder in peak periods brought average journey times down by more than a quarter for northbound motorists, while vehicle emissions fell by up to ten per cent and fuel consumption fell by four per cent.

Additionally, those using the new system said they did not feel safety was comprised, with 84 per cent of drivers saying they were confident of using the hard shoulder.

The Department of Transport is now set to examine the costs involved in extending some of the traffic management ideas further still.

What is the ETA?

The ETA is a not-for-profit ethical organisation providing motorists and cyclists with carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport.