PLANS to open up the hard shoulder on motorways to traffic permanently have been slammed as safety risks have not been addressed.

The House of Commons Transport Committee has hit out at the government proposals which are the latest development of the smart motorways scheme to increase capacity on motorways in the UK.

The M4 between junctions 3 and 12 is in line to be an All Lane Running scheme, with the hard shoulder used for traffic permanently, and a decision on whether it is to go ahead is due to be made in September.

Previous designs for smart motorways were to monitor traffic and open the hard shoulder to vehicles during peak periods or congestion, but All Lane Running is now being considered as a cheaper way to expand capacity.

A report published by the committee today states: "We do not support All Lane Running as the attendant safety risks have not been fully addressed.

"The permanent removal of the hard shoulder is a dramatic shift from previous smart motorway schemes. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and each proposal needs to be justified on its own terms.

"The Department [for Transport] should not proceed with a major motorway programme on the basis of cost savings while major safety concerns continue to exist."

The committee is concerned that the required three years of safety data has not been compiled before the scheme progresses.