September set for M20 safety and pollution scheme

8.05.47am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Apr 2008

Cllr. Tony Harwood (Lib Dem) is interviewed by BBC News about his proposals to improve safety and reduce pollution on the M20.

Following the intervention of Cllr. Fran Wilson, Lib Dem Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, the Government's Highways Agency has now set a date for the introduction of an innovative Controlled Motorway initiative on the M20 between junctions 4 and 7. The Controlled Motorway, which allows speed limits to be set in response to prevailing road conditions to improve traffic flows and safety, was piloted on the M25 near Heathrow with great success.

Maidstone Borough Council lobbied the Government's Highways Agency for the implementation of a Controlled Motorway system on the M20 as a result of the publication of the Council's groundbreaking and influential "Our Motorway Network a Good Neighbour?" report initiated and championed by Lib Dem Environment Chief Cllr. Tony Harwood.

Tony stated on hearing the news of a concrete implementation date for the scheme "The Controlled Motorway project will not just improve safety and prevent the regular gridlock of the County Town arising from motorway smashes but will slash the levels of noise and air pollution experienced by residents living within the shadow of the M20".