Mike Rawson
‘The decision by ministers and National Highways to continue to build the partly constructed smart motorways WITHOUT hard shoulders following the Prime Minister’s clear and unambiguous statement that ALL LANE RUNNING smart motorways are UNSAFE shows utter contempt for Rishi Sunak.
Whilst divisions in the Conservative Party are common knowledge, for ministers to arrogantly dismiss the pronouncements of the Prime Minister by continuing with a policy, to which the PM is strongly opposed, is unacceptable in a democracy. For Rishi Sunak , who must be aware of what is going on at the Department for Transport and National Highways, to meekly accept the situation is a clear sign he has no authority and is a weak leader.
The government must understand that, ‘KNOWINGLY TO OPEN & CONTINUE TO OPERATE UNSAFE ALL LANE RUNNING smart motorways, which will cost lives and flies in the face of overwhelming public opinion and will result in legal action certain to cost taxpayers millions of pounds in compensation and legal fees, is completely unacceptable.
In correspondence from Richard Holden MP, Roads Minister, he tells me ‘safety’ on the roads is a priority for the government and an additional 150 Emergency Refuge Areas will be built on smart motorways.
It is clear he and his compatriots treat us, the public, with the same contempt with which they treat the Prime Minister. For Holden’s information here are two facts:
150 additional ERAs on over 400 miles of smart motorways equates to ONE ADDITIONAL ERA EVERY THREE MILES and IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DRIVE A BROKEN DOWN VEHICLE TO AN ERA AND THE ONLY OPTION IS TO BE STOPPED IN A LIVE LANE USED BY HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC.
I have one simple question for Transport Ministers, ‘Would you be unconcerned if your family brokedown in a live lane of a smart motorway given you have repeated numerous times that smart motorways are ‘as safe or safer’ than conventional motorways with hard shoulders?
If the answer is, ‘No, I wouldn’t be concerned’, then you are either stupid or a liar – which is it?
The SMART MOTORWAYS KILL campaign will continue until ALL motorways have hard shoulders restored.
After our Toyota Land cruiser becoming faulty with the oil light on I was determined to clear the barrier at the side of me. Deat was right behind me just a few hundred metres in the form of dozens of HGVs I’d passed in the last 15 minutes. I did manage to do 20 mph and thankfully got onto a grass verge well away from the thundering HGVs passing by as regular as clockwork. THE PROOF IS THE LANES AGAINST M1 SOUTHBOUND BEFORE TIBSHELF SERVICES AT GANTRY 223-6B REMAINED OPEN FOR AN HOUR…… 1 HOUR on 18th April 2023.
This was only a small part of the nightmare because I was held to ransome to pay £192 or else our car would be seized and disposed of within 14 days.
At no time was I offered a tow by National highways but a police officed said a few times that was hardly audibole due to the traffic that I had refused a tow…….. Pleanty of towing equipment was in and always is in the Toyota. This Nat Highways lady traffic officer cleared off to leave the cop to tell me lies about the car being in a dangerous place etc etc. I contacted the company who collect the money by phone call. They sent me an email clearly stating that they had positive information our car was broken down in a live lane.
The chance to complain is readily available but this is futile because each and every biased operative within NH will deny wrongdoing and all the lot of them even the Higharchy will lie their heads off to keep that money gained by false pretenses.
The thrid stage should be impartial in the long haul of complaining to get a refund but this impartial operative’s address is at the London Transport dept?
At 82 my senses were upset by the noise of the motorway and the fact that the officer stood well away from me. Was this by intent so that I did not hear him clearly?
One of the many blatant lies proffered by NH calimed I was abusive. The Police officer’s body cam footage proves entirely the opposite of that accusation. It shows clearly I was conducting my behavior relatively calmly with not one swear word……. Automatic lying by our trustworthy National Highways…….. It seems incredible that an area Manager tried to telephone me the day after the incident but it was not until the next day he called me. After many ridiculous lying statements he found nothing wrong with the NH procedure.
He stated that I was not offed a tow and that was within legislation. They did not have to offer a tow. The police male officer said I was offered a tow……. Who is lying between the police and the lady traffic lady?
The authority has no evidence to confirm the facts. I have multiple evidential video records mine and the bodycam police video.
I was told the National Highways lady officers camera was not working when I requested that recording. Convenient for her lying ways of conducting her job.
My bank are seen to be more honourable than all the despicable liars at the NH because they refunded the money paid to NH under my duress.
The correct term is obtaining money by false pretences which I believ a person would be jailed if guilty of that offence.