Written question asked by David Amess (Conservative) on Wednesday, 30 June 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 July 2004. It was answered by David Jamieson (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 July 2004 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Dept for Transport

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the Highways Agency's plans to restrict caravans to the inside lane of the M5 motorway south of Bristol on bank holidays.

Answer: Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Highways Agency's plans to restrict caravans to the inside lane of the M5 motorway south of Bristol on bank holidays. [182374] Mr. Jamieson: The M5 is a vital link to the south-west for tourists but long queues on summer weekends and bank holidays are normal and have been for some years. These are caused by a short steep hill west of Bristol, known locally as Naish Hill. The permanent solution to this problem is a climbing lane, for which a contract has been awarded and is due to be completed by summer 2006. In the meantime, I have asked the Highways Agency to consider interim measures that could help relieve the present problems for all road users on the M5. The most effective way of reducing the congestion is for people to plan their journeys to avoid the peak times of Friday evening and Saturday morning and early afternoon. To encourage this, the Highways Agency will be advising vehicles towing trailers to stay in the inside lane of the M5 for the short length of Naish Hill during peak times. This will be introduced as a trial this summer and if successful, implemented for bank holiday and other weekends when heavy traffic is anticipated. The Highways Agency will be monitoring the trial closely to judge whether it has been a success.

Secondary information