high occupancy vehicle lanes

The use of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes is a scheme currently being piloted by the Highways Agency on the UK motorway network. The concept is simple, vehicles with more than one person in them can use the lane, whilst over vehicles have to continue to use the remaining traffic lanes.

Although relatively new in the UK, yet despite being around for ten years, the lanes have only received major publicity in the past four, due to their introduction to the motorway network by the government and Highways Agency. They have been in use in the United States since the 1960s, and in the Netherlands in 1993. Lanes also exist in Canada (although only since 2005) and in Norway.

Scheme Principles

The idea behind it is to boost car sharing and use of public transport, as the majority of vehicles used in the affected areas (during peak times) are occupied only by the driver. So by letting those vehicles with additional passengers use the special lane, they get to pass through the congested area whilst the other vehicles sit in queuing traffic.

In addition, by car-sharing, the Highways Agency is attempting to promote the environmental benefits of such a scheme: less fuel consumption, meaning fewer car emissions.

Restrictions

The following vehicles are permitted to use HOV lanes:
- Cars carrying passengers
- Buses and Coaches
- Taxis and minibuses carrying passengers
- Motorcycles

The following vehicles are prohibited from using the HOV lanes:
- Cars with no passengers (i.e. driver only)
- Taxis and minibuses with no passengers
- Heavy Goods Vehicles

Signage and Markings

New signage has been introduced to make drivers aware of the HOV lanes. The lanes are generally identified using a car symbol with "2+" displayed within it (see right for a picture). Some signage looks similar to the commonly found Bus Lane sign, with the vehicle shown to the left of a solid white line. Operational times (where applicable) are displayed below the sign.

In terms of road markings, the HOV lanes generally look like a bus lane, with traffic separated by a solid white lane. The markings "2+ LANE" are painted along the lane at regular intervals.

HOV Lane Schemes

The M62 / M606 Scheme
The first motorway car-share lane in the UK, this is a one mile HOV lane located in the area around Chain Bar Interchange (Junction 26), south of Bradford. The lane is located on the southbound carriageway of the M606, and "peels" around the corner of the roundabout and onto the eastbound carriageway of the M62.The 1.7 mile-long lane was introduced to help reduce delays for traffic passing through the junction. Studies by the Highways Agency showed that 84% of vehicles passing through Junction 26 were carrying no passengers.

The HOV lane was constructed utilising the existing free-flow slip road between the M606 and M62 East, meaning that passenger-less vehicles wanting to make that movement would be forced to use the roundabout, and queue up to pass through the traffic signals. Vehicles using the HOV lane are expected to save up to eight minutes on their journey times by utilising the lane.

An observation platform has been constructed alongside the HOV lane to allow the police to observe vehicles utilising the lane and ensuring no passenger-less vehicles are found to be using the lane. Anyone found to be flouting the rules may be stopped by the police and penalised. The HOV lane was opened by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly on 20 March 2008.

A Carpool scheme was also established to coincide with the opening of the HOV lane. Details are available at www.carplus.org.uk.

Non-Motorway Schemes
The UK's first HOV lane was introduced back in March 1998, on the A647 Stanningley Road in Leeds. The lane was introduced by Leeds City Council in an attempt to reduce the number of vehicles occupied by one person, the figure standing at 60% before the scheme was introduced. The council originally wanted to install a bus lane, but found that bus service frequencies were too low to justify it; instead they decided a HOV lane, allowing buses and multi-occupant vehicles to use the road.

There are also schemes in Bristol, on the A4174 Avon Ring Road, and also in North Somerset, on the A370 Long Ashton Bypass.

M1 - The Scrapped Scheme
Announced back in December 2004, the then Transport Secretary Alistair Darling made the decision to introduce a HOV lane between Junctions 7 and 10, as part of the widening project currently in progress. It was to be the Government's flagship HOV scheme, but the scheme was cancelled in March 2008, before the work had even been completed.

The reason for its cancellation was on safety grounds. Fears over possible crashes were expressed, with claims that drivers would become frustrated at slower vehicles, and therefore exit the lane and undertake the vehicle in front - this was deemed to be dangerous due to fast moving cars in the outside "normal" lane having to brake due to the undertaking vehicles.

A solution was put forward for moving the lane over to the other side of the carriageway, onto the inside lane - again this was deemed as dangerous, as cars from the next lane would have to cut in front of vehicles in the HOV lane - which could possibly be travelling faster - in order to exit the carriageway (the same happening with traffic joining the carriageway).The lane should have been opening in December 2008. Instead, a Variable Speed Limit system will be introduced, with the possibility of hard shoulder running being used in the future.

A similar scheme for Junctions 10 to 13 will now not go ahead, as this was dependent on the success of the Juncions 7 to 10 scheme. This could also have an impact on the other future motorway schemes.

Future Schemes
Following the feasibility study carried out by the Highways Agency, the department lined up other possible areas for the introduction of HOV lanes. Other than the M62 scheme mentioned above, potential areas identified were M3 between Junctions 2 to 3, and M61 Junctions 3 to 6.

Other councils have looked at the possibility of introducing HOV lanes, as well as the Scottish Executive. Leeds City Council is proposing to introduce HOV lanes on the new East Leeds Link Road.