Smart Motorways - who needs the hard shoulder?

[Giulia Reg]

As more and more of our motorway network is being converted to a Smart Motorway, do we think losing the hard shoulder is a good idea or is it just a cheap but dangerous option and an accident waiting to happen? I have been held up more times in these past few months since the road was converted on 'my' section of the M25 J25 - J24 than ever before when the motorway has become totally blocked and the emergency vehicles have struggled to make their way through to the incident. Personally I think the whole idea is simply crazy and our safety is now soley in the hands of somebody sitting in a control room watching a camera. A scary thought of 'what if' he or she's attention is taken away just for one minute...??