And - surprise, surprise...

And - surprise, surprise - I took the opposite view, believing that some motorways should be widened... especially if they were deliberately built too narrow in the first place, as the London orbital was. After all, around 99.9 per cent of Britain is not M-way!

But enough of the arguments and counter-arguments. Neither side is going to change its opinions - so I"m attempting to set a new climate in 2006 by concentrating less on the tired old slanging matches and focusing more on fresh new solutions.

For example, I reckon the strip of cordoned-off transport land near Heathrow should be made about four times wider than it is now. Not to extend the so-called superhighway to 48 lanes - far from it. No, I"d like this broad stretch of land to become Phase One of an all-vehicle transport corridor for Britain. And yes, I really mean all types of vehicle.

The inside lanes could be for motorcycles, followed by one or two wider tracks for lorries and large vans. After that would be a lane or two for buses and coaches, plus a few more broad enough to accommodate the masses: cars, car-derived vans and taxis capable of and willing to do 70mph. Those which can"t must join a slower lane or leave the corridor. Obviously, drivers and riders will need hard shoulders inside and occasionally outside. And instead of slip roads, there would be on/off ramps for the appropriate lanes.

Still within the corridor could be separate light and heavy railways and, possibly, tram lines. Next door to these come dedicated cyclist lanes and pavements. Pedestrians would need to be protected from fast-moving road and rail traffic by strong crash barriers, security fences, trees and so on. But because their paths would run alongside rail and tram lines, they"d have easier access than anyone else to stations and platforms.

Above that will be the flight path where aeroplanes and helicopters could travel - in one direction, at least. Tube trains may run under the corridor, although tracks on the surface would be cheaper to lay and maintain. Underground parking is a further option.

I said my traffic corridor could accommodate every type of vehicle and traveller imaginable, and it does. Implemented properly, it would work so efficiently that bikers and drivers wouldn"t be tempted to divert on to country lanes and residential streets.

Through excessive road user taxation, drivers and motorcyclists have already paid up front for their own toll-free lanes in a future DRRAC (Dedicated Road, Rail and Air Corridor). From the same tax overspend, we can also pay for the footpaths, plus the cycling and public transport lanes and tracks. Why not? Let"s just get on with it.