Not so smart

NEW smart motorways are to be removed from UK government road ‐building plans

The news comes due to financial pressures and lack of confidence felt by drivers the UK government confirmed on Saturday, April 15, delivering on the Prime Minister’s summer campaign pledge.

New smart motorways ‐including the 11 already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy (2020 to 2025) and the three earmarked for con ‐struction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) ‐ will be re‐moved from government road‐building plans, given financial pressures and in recognition of the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers.

Initial estimations sug ‐gest constructing future smart motorway schemes would have cost more than £1 billion and can ‐ celling these schemes will allow more time to track public confidence in smart motorways over a longer period.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “All drivers de‐serve to have confidence in the roads they use to get around the country.

“Many people across the country rely on driving to get to work, take their chil‐dren 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.”

75% of UK adults can’t read a map.