When they were first announced, I had a discussion about the idea, which I immediately thought was "foolish", with a senior police traffic officer at Kent Police HQ.
He explained he had "very real concerns" about this, and envisaged all types of "challenges" for all the emergency services when (trying) attending any major, or even minor, incident. My concerns were that without the safe refuge of a hard shoulder there would be trouble. He totally agreed, but said, as he could only do as a serving officer, "We shall see".
How right we have both proved to be, but anyone with the considerable driving experience we both have could only come to that conclusion.
No, it is, once again, all about the money to be saved and the reduction in the "hassle" of going through planning procedures / public enquiries to extend our motorways to cope with the extra volume of traffic. Your, and my life, does not count in that equation!!
Hopefully this dangerous nonsense will be kicked into touch.