British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has scrapped plans to build new smart motorways amid concerns about safety and cost.
Mr Sunak said the public has lost confidence in the roads, which were introduced in 2006 and replaced the hard shoulder with an extra traffic lane to cut congestion.
About 10 per cent of England's motorway network is made up of smart roads. But plans for 14 new stretches, including 11 that are paused and three earmarked for construction, will be dropped.
Construction of the roads would have cost more than £1 billion.
The building of two smart motorways at junctions six to eight of the M56, which serves Cheshire and Greater Manchester, and 21a to 26 of the M6 — which runs from the Scottish Borders to the English Midlands — will continue as they are more than three quarters complete.
Operational smart motorways will also remain, but be subject to a safety refit so there are 150 more emergency stopping places across the network.
Smart motorways involve various methods to manage the flow of traffic, such as converting the hard shoulder into a live running lane and variable speed limits.
But there have been long-standing safety fears following fatal incidents in which vehicles stopped in live lanes without a hard shoulder were hit from behind.
Drivers Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu were killed in 2019 when their vehicles were hit by a lorry on the M1 near Sheffield after they stopped on the inside lane of the smart motorway section following a minor collision.
“All drivers deserve to have confidence in the roads they use to get around the country,” said Mr Sunak, who vowed to ban smart motorways during his Conservative Party leadership campaign last summer.
“That's why last year I pledged to stop the building of all new smart motorways, and today I'm making good on that promise.
“Many people across the country rely on driving to get to work, to take their children to school and go about their daily lives, and I want them to be able to do so with full confidence that the roads they drive on are safe.”
Campaigners welcomed the move to scrap new stretches, but demanded the government now return the hard shoulder on conversions in operation.
In January 2022, the government paused the expansion of motorways where the hard shoulder is used as a permanent live traffic lane.
This was to enable five years of data to be collected to assess whether they are safe for drivers.
Pressure had been mounting on the government to scrap the routes, which have been criticised by MPs and road safety campaigners, including the RAC and AA.
Campaigner Claire Mercer, Mr Mercer's widow, welcomed the government's move but pledged to continue pushing for the hard shoulder to return on every road.
“It's great, it's very good news," she said.
“I'm particularly happy that it's been confirmed that the routes that are in planning, in progress, have also been cancelled. I didn't think they'd do that.
“So it's good news, but obviously it's the existing ones that are killing us. And I'm not settling for more emergency refuge areas.
“So it's half the battle, but we've still got half the battle to go.”
Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Mr Mercer's Rotherham constituency, said she was relieved the government had taken action but called for details of the plans going forward.
“Will the government be returning the hard shoulder on existing conversions? Will the schemes currently in construction be restored?" she said.
"Why now, when two parliamentary select committee inquiries, their own review and countless campaigns by family members of those who died on these death traps wasn't enough to persuade them.”
AA president Edmund King said: “We have had enough coroners passing down their deadly and heartbreaking judgments where the lack of a hard shoulder has contributed to deaths.
“At last the government has listened, and we are delighted to see the roll-out of 'smart' motorways scrapped …
“We would also like to see the hard shoulder reinstated on existing stretches in due course.”
RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said his organisation's research showed smart motorways are deeply unpopular with drivers.
“It's now vitally important that plans are made for making the hundreds of existing miles of these types of motorway as safe as possible.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “We want the public to know that this government is listening to their concerns.
“Today's announcement recognises the lack of public confidence felt by drivers and the cost pressures due to inflation.”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
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Power: 325bhp
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The five pillars of Islam
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
