This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7508776.stm
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Cash to target M-way congestion | Cash to target M-way congestion |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A multi-million pound investment aimed at easing motorway congestion is expected to be announced by ministers. | A multi-million pound investment aimed at easing motorway congestion is expected to be announced by ministers. |
| It is expected to include plans to extend the use of hard-shoulders for traffic during busy periods. | It is expected to include plans to extend the use of hard-shoulders for traffic during busy periods. |
| The system already operates on the M42 in the Midlands, where cameras are used to ensure breakdowns are moved quickly. | The system already operates on the M42 in the Midlands, where cameras are used to ensure breakdowns are moved quickly. |
| Edmund King of the AA said he thought motorists would find it "encouraging" that the government was trying to address the problem of motorway queues. | Edmund King of the AA said he thought motorists would find it "encouraging" that the government was trying to address the problem of motorway queues. |
| He said: "Congestion is costing us more than £20bn a year and we've seen in the West Midlands that hard-shoulder running, if it's managed well, it can work fairly effectively. | He said: "Congestion is costing us more than £20bn a year and we've seen in the West Midlands that hard-shoulder running, if it's managed well, it can work fairly effectively. |
| "It can make for more reliable journeys and, as long as safety isn't compromised when it's rolled out, I think it will be something that most motorists will support." | "It can make for more reliable journeys and, as long as safety isn't compromised when it's rolled out, I think it will be something that most motorists will support." |
| Reasearch carried out during a pilot hard shoulder scheme on an 11-mile (17.7km) stretch of the M42 near Birmingham showed a reduction in congestion, carbon emissions and fuel consumption. | |
| There are plans to expand the system to about 500 miles (804.6km) of motorway across England, and some motorways in Scotland are also earmarked for the scheme. | |
| The use of hard shoulders is part of a bigger plan to reduce traffic build-up, and other ideas include car sharing lanes and congestion charging in towns and cities. |