Britain is to open its first U.S.-style car pool lanes to ease congestion and accommodate more commuters without building more roads. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said on Thursday the first car-sharing lane, for vehicles carrying two or more people, will be trialled between three junctions on a stretch of the M1 motorway between Milton Keynes and St Albans. "We've got to take action to manage our road space better and to allow more people to be carried and reduce congestion," Darling told reporters. Lone drivers who stray into the lanes will face fines, Darling said. The government was already planning to widen the M1 motorway to dual four lanes from dual three lanes between the junctions where the so-called High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes will be trialled. Work is due to start in the second half of 2005. The government estimates there would be five percent fewer cars on the road if car sharing was adopted. Car-pool lanes are also being considered for the M61 and M62, Darling said. --SP 1926 Local Time 1626 GMT
