Carpooling pilot proposed for Britain's motorways

BRITISH motoring experts yesterday cautiously welcomed proposals to trial a car-sharing only motorway lane.

British Transport Secretary Alistair Darling is expected to unveil plans to trial the lanes, to be used by cars carrying two or more people, next week.

Supporters hope the plans will cut congestion and give motorists a fast-track into the major cities, with pilot schemes planned in parts of the M1 and M3.

But there are fears the car-sharing lane could be a political sop to environmentalists as the Government seeks to widen motorways.

The United States began using High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, known locally as carpool lanes, in the early 1980s.

But scamming solo motorists even used Ronald Reagan blow-up dolls to travel in the HOV lanes or 'hired' students to act as bogus passengers.

Some US transport chiefs now offer solo drivers the chance to use the lanes in return for a toll, which is based on the density of traffic at the time.

Paul Watters, head of roads and transport policy at The AA Motoring Trust, said: "We think it is an interesting proposal. It won't suit everyone though.

"It hopefully might help reduce some of the congestion. Clearly, it is a pilot scheme and we hope it will be reviewed in the light of experience."

Meanwhile Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said: "If they are talking about putting in an extra lane, we would have no problem, running as a pilot, a car-sharing lane."

Mr Watters said: "We need innovation and we need ideas that people might just buy.

"They might like this idea." But he said it would be futile to widen the road and then have it empty.

Mr King said: "We should not take up existing lanes. An additional lane should be put in as an HOV lane.

"If under-utilised, it should revert to being a lane for all types of vehicles."

He also warned of safety considerations, should the hard shoulder be used as the HOV lane.

"There will need to be safe havens for breakdowns or major accidents.

"Public transport cannot solve all road problems. Let's try it as a pilot scheme and see. It does nothing for the environment to have traffic congested motorways or cars diverting off to rat run through rural villages."

Meanwhile there was scathing criticism from the Association of British Drivers.

Its national spokesman, Mark McArthur-Christie, said: "Road space in the UK is exceptionally scarce because of decades of government under-funding and we need to use it in the most efficient way possible.

"What this HOV lane does is stops people using it as flexibly as possible. People's jobs don't start and finish at the same time any more and they work in different locations."

Tony Bosworth, of Friends of the Earth, said: "We support initiatives that encourage people to use their cars less or car share.

"But these latest Government plans must not be used as an excuse to justify new road-widening schemes."

He said extra road capacity inevitably led to more car journeys and, in turn, greater congestion and pollution.