Park-and-ride depots on motorways

Service stations along motorways in the West Midlands could be used for park-and-ride style depots for people to leave their cars if a coach company gets its way.

The scheme, which would see coaches drive along the hard shoulder, has been dreamed up by National Express, the owner of 80 per cent of the region's local buses which used to be called Travel West Midlands. In a report to shareholders outlining its vision of public transport in 2020 it said it wants the Government to help set up the park and ride depots.

They would be at motorway service stations so people can leave their cars there and then use a coach.

The company also wants coaches to be allowed to use dedicated high occupancy lanes which the Government is trialling in the north to allow drivers with more than one passenger to zip past queuing traffic.

The report, approved by National Express chief executive Richard Bowker, is called More Is Less.

Mr Bowker says: "Dedicated motorway coaches could provide a practical long-distance alternative, with motorists leaving their cars in 'park-and-ride' style bays at service stations, continuing their journeys at a fraction of the environmental cost. To make this practical, we need high occupancy vehicle lanes and hard shoulder use at peak times.

"We'd like to see extensions of the electrified rail network. On rural lines, trains could be powered by fuel cells, using hydrogen and producing no emissions except water.

"We may see changes to the coach network, with the creation of out-of-town coach stations. Linking to these could be fleets of electric hire cars charged by onsite wind turbines for onward connections.

Highways Agency spokeswoman Kelly Logan said: "We have introduced a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane which links the southbound M606 near Bradford to the eastbound M62 towards Leeds. Vehicles, including buses and coaches can use this HOV lane."