'Enough is enough'- Labour calls for hard shoulder to be reinstated immediately on smart motorways

Labour has called for hard shoulders to be reinstated on smart motorways after a coroner ruled the lack of one contributed to the death of a Yorkshire man.

Speaking in the Commons today, shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said “enough is enough” as he highlighted 40 deaths had been linked to smart motorways, where the hard shoulder becomes an active lane.

This includes Rotherham man Jason Mercer, 44, who died in June last year as he and 22-year-old Alexandru Murgeanu stood stationary in lane one following a minor shunt.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Last week Sheffield coroner David Urpeth said the primary cause of their deaths was the careless driving of lorry driver Prezemyslaw Szuba, who ploughed into their vehicles.

Handout photo of Jason and Claire Mercer. Mr Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died when a lorry ploughed into their stationary vehicles on the M1 near Sheffield on June 7 last year. Photo: PAHandout photo of Jason and Claire Mercer. Mr Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died when a lorry ploughed into their stationary vehicles on the M1 near Sheffield on June 7 last year. Photo: PA
Handout photo of Jason and Claire Mercer. Mr Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died when a lorry ploughed into their stationary vehicles on the M1 near Sheffield on June 7 last year. Photo: PA

But, recording a conclusion of unlawful killing, Mr Urpeth said: “I find, as a finding of fact, it is clear a lack of hard shoulder contributed to this tragedy.”

Mr McMahon told the Commons: “This month a coroner concluded that the lack of a hard shoulder on the M1 in South Yorkshire contributed to the death of two men bringing the total now to nearly 40 lives lost as a result of smart motorways and the absence of a hard shoulder.”

He added: “Enough is enough. Will he commit, the minute this session finishes, to pick up the phone and to issue the instruction to reinstate the hard shoulder on smart motorways? Because, God forbid, we’ll be here again reviewing more deaths if action isn’t taken.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs it is “absolutely tragic” that anybody ever dies on the UK’s roads, adding: “Smart motorways were an issue and are an issue which sparked a great deal of interest for me and I, as he may recall – before he was in post, last year set up a review, a stock take, which recommended 18 different measures and included spending of over £500m to put in a whole series of measures to make sure that smart motorways are not just as safe but safer than conventional motorways.

“That stock take is now one year through and I will come back to the House very shortly to report on progress and I know he’ll take a lot of interest in that.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.