Campaigners have staged a demonstration outside the London headquarters of the Department for Transport, calling for reports on the impact of smart motorway schemes to be released.

The event was organised by Claire Mercer of the Smart Motorways Kill campaign, claiming the DfT is refusing to release a raft of Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports on smart motorways, which will reveal their record on issues such as safety, value for money and environmental impact.

Journalist Chris Ames has blogged that, according to a 2022 report by National Highways’ regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), nine POPE reports were due to be completed that year alone. It is not known how many have been compiled since, and that both National Highways and the ORR have blamed ministers for the failure to make the reports public, with the DfT claiming that the reports are still undergoing an “assurance” process.

Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, who is Mercer’s MP, also attended the demonstration, at which a banner demanding “Release the Pope” was held up at the entrance to the DfT’s offices.

Mrs Mercer, whose husband Jason was killed on a smart motorway section of the M1 in 2019, says she invited ministers to join the event but none did, although she did receive a letter from local roads minister Simon Lightwood.

National Highways has been approached for comment.

(Picture – Chris Ames)