UK's first car-pooling lane announced
Sharing cars beats congestion is government mantra
The government's new scheme for cutting motorway congestion is a car-pooling lane. It's an idea already in widepread use in the US (right). The government hopes this will cut congestion and improve journey times by creating a dedicated lane reserved for vehicles carrying two or more people. A trial scheme will start on the M1, according to transport secretary Alistair Darling yesterday.
High occupancy vehicle (HOV) or carpool lanes aim to encourage drivers to share cars. Britain's first HOV motorway lane will be trialled on the M1 between junctions 7 and 10 (Milton Keynes South to St Albans). The car sharing lane will operate at peak times to help minimise delay and congestion for road users. Work is due to start in autumn 2005.
Work is already planned to widen the motorway at this point from dual three lanes to dual four lanes. The Highways Agency estimates that there would be five per cent fewer cars on the road if car sharing were adopted.
If the scheme proves successful, the Government will consider extending the car-sharing lane as far as Junction 13 when this section of the motorway is widened.
Three other sites on motorways in England were also studied by the Highways Agency, which manages the country's motorways, to see whether the sites would be suitable for the pilot scheme.
The four sites were:
- M1 Jct 13 - 7
- M3 Jct 3 - 2 (into London)
- M61 Jct 6-3 (near Bolton)
- M62 Jct 25-27 (Brighouse to Leeds)
Darling said, "The government is determined to tackle congestion - adding capacity where necessary and making better use of existing road space. Carpool lanes encourage drivers to share their vehicle by providing dedicated lanes for vehicles with passengers.
"Making better use of our road network, these lanes have been used to great effect both in America and Australia and could play a key role in reducing congestion on Britain's motorways. I hope motorists will be encouraged to consider carpooling and take advantage of the new lanes. It works elsewhere and there is no reason why it can't work here as well."
Darling added that the Highways Agency is will now carry out further investigations into introducing car-sharing lanes on the M61 and M62.
So good news for me and I believe they are adding an extra lane-so it will increase capacity for everyone.
Once this is in place they will have to let you undertake the people in the multi-occupancy lane otherwise lardy mpv's will hold everything up. There is also another important practical difficulty as slower vehicles have to cross three lanes of traffic
to get there.
ps. they must have their own drivers. so they can use the lane they invented!
>> Edited by loveice on Friday 10th December 11:56
Coming to a motorway near you soon So morning and evening rush hours will have a HOV lane empty anyway?
Next thing could be charging SOVs to use the HOV lanes when they're under used.
Also see that although they're gonna do the M62 into Leeds, they're not going to do the same for the M1 into Leeds and that can be just as bad from J39 onwards.
Piccy
driller said:
How long before single drivers start putting blow up dolls and scarecrows on the seat next to them 
Driller
There has been one of these on the Stanningley bypass into Leeds for a good couple of years now.
Already seen it done mate, it's amazing what you see when you are sat in a large queue of traffic watching the virtually empty lane next to you at 8.50am!!!!!!!
Teach motorway discipline as part of the test, and put some trafpol out there to catch the miscreants, that's what I say
I wouldn't use it, because most of my motorway mileage is done alone, and anyway, car-sharing impacts freedom of departure and arrival times, and I'd always rather drive than be driven.
But building an EXTRA lane for car-sharers to use seems OK to me.
What about tax breaks for businesses who enable 50% of their workforce to work from home? that'll reduce the congestion. but it'll never happen as they will lose money in car tax, fuel duty as less people will be driving.
even though they would save money on not having to build roads, less car crashes etc.
Why do some people dislike the inside or middle lanes ?
I followed a car yesterday for a number of miles up the M3... he was in lane 3, i was in lane 1. His speed was equal to mine, yet even travelling at the speed limit, I started to pass on the left. Eventually, I was a good few car lenths infront, and he still decided lane 3 was best for him.
On the bike, I laugh sometimes, when I see people tailgating... touching their brake lights cos they are too close.. that impacts the traffic behind, and next thing you know there has been a bump or just another tailback, with cars at the rear having to stop.
I have even noticed some people donot like bikers filtering past when they are virtually stationary.
People who use lane 3 until the 300meter marker, then decide to exit the motorway at the offslip.
Grrrr...
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