Highways England’s rollout of smart motorways was “entirely wrong” and drivers still don’t know how to use them, the Transport Secretary has said.
Grant Shapps said he was surprised to learn the Government-owned company in charge of the rollout failed to have the technology in place to spot stranded motorists in live lanes.
Mr Shapps also suggested motorists had no idea what to do if they broke down in live lanes as they simply "sprung up" without a major information campaign.
Appearing in front of MPs on the transport committee on Wednesday, the cabinet minister said he had ordered the scrapping of dynamic hard shoulders, where they could be switched to “live lanes” if traffic grew heavy, describing them as "insane" and adding to motorists' confusion.
Mr Shapps comments are the most damning indictment yet on the smart motorway rollout by a serving Government minister, and comes after The Telegraph has revealed how people are dying after failing to reach “emergency refuge areas” and being stranded in the inside live lane before being hit by other vehicles.
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