Drivers could be allowed to use the hard shoulder along a stretch of the M20 to ease congestion.

Transport minister Ruth Kelly says the M20 between Junction 3 at Wrotham Heath and Junction 5 at Maidstone will be considered as one of several motorways where motorists could be permitted to use the hard shoulder during peak rush hour periods.

The idea is one of many unveiled as part of a £6billion package of measures aimed at easing chronic delays along the UK’s motorway network.

Ms Kelly said: "The £6 billion will allow us to develop and implement more innovative approaches to the way we use our major roads.

"This includes measures like opening the hard shoulder when traffic is at its heaviest, alongside some conventional widening where that makes best sense."

Ms Kelly also announced that a stretch of the M25 between Junction 5 and Junction 7, which covers both Kent and Surrey, would also be considered for hard shoulder driving.

The M20 has become an increasingly busy motorway over recent years, with a huge rise in the number of freight lorries coming through the county from the ports.

The news that the Government is considering using the hard shoulder on several motorways has drawn a cautious welcome. Edmund King, of the AA, said: "It can make for more reliable journeys and, as long as safety isn’t compromised when it’s rolled out, I think it will be something that most motorists will support."