HL Deb 21 March 1972 vol 329 cc592-3

2.55 p.m.

LORD ROYLE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans exist for the provision of lay-bys and picnic areas on motorways.]

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, lay-bys are not provided on motorways, but there are continuous hard shoulders for use in emergency. Service areas are provided for drivers to stop and rest. Separate picnic areas are provided at some of these service areas.

LORD ROYLE

My Lords, out of courtesy, I thank the noble Lord for his Answer, but would he not agree that it is completely unsatisfactory? Is not the position that on our motorways—and I happened to drive on many of them last week, including the M.1, M.3, M.4, M.5 and M.6—there is not a single place where one can pull in except in the case of emergency? Is it not desirable that there should be opportunities for rest on the motorways? Might not more such opportunities contribute to road safety, particularly in circumstances like those obtaining on the M.1 last Thursday morning?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I do not see how fog has any relevance to the noble Lord's Question. With regard to the first part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I think he is aware of the fact that about every 25 miles—and this is the Department's policy—there are service areas in which drivers on the M roads can find all the facilities that they require. It is also the policy of the Department to reserve what are called in-fill sites in between these areas, and even now between the Watford Gap service area and the Newport Pagnell service area we are developing such a site. We develop wherever the need is shown. About every five miles there are intersections and anyone needing to go off an M road can do so there.

LORD ROYLE

My Lords, is not this a question of encouraging people to rest after travelling distances on the motorway rather than one of needing to go off? While we can pull off if we so desire, would there not be greater encouragement to rest? Would the noble Lord not agree, probably from his own experience, how desirable it is on the continental motorways to pull into a very desirable piece of landscape and to rest for half an hour?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I quite understand the noble Lord's point. But these motorways are designed for the transmission of traffic. This is a matter of planning half an hour ahead. The noble Lord must plan half an hour ahead when he is passing a service area. It is as simple as that.

LORD PARGITER

My Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that the normal type of lay-by would be entirely unsatisfactory on the motorways, particularly from the point of view of joining the main stream of traffic? Already trouble is caused at the intersections where traffic meets.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords. I am grateful to the noble Lord for putting that point, because the more accesses there are on motorways the more danger there is.

LORD ROYLE

My Lords, if I may intervene on that point, would it not be more desirable to have a lay-by or picnic area that goes deeper off the side of the motorway than the shallow lay-by to which my noble friend has referred?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, when we first started these service areas they were only some 10 to 15 acres in size, which I agree with the noble Lord does not give much depth for picnic areas. In the new policy we have service areas of 30 to 40 acres, which allows for picnic areas. Five picnic areas are already in being, and two more are being developed.