Image: TfL
Ambulances, police and fire vehicles across the Capital now have access to bus lanes on London’s main arterial roads while on duty, even when not dealing with an emergency.
The move, announced by TfL on 19 May, follows a successful trial with Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust that saw fewer missed appointments, and no negative impact on bus journey times.
The trial was set up to help people travel to appointments smoothly. More than 150 non-blue light patient transport vehicles were given access to over 25km of bus lanes in Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and Lewisham on the TfL road network (TLRN).
It also included bus lanes managed by Lambeth Council and took place over 12 months from February 2022.
The trial found that the number of missed NHS appointments fell by around 20% and saved the Trust money, with no impact on bus journey times. The trial benefited patients who are unable to use public transport to attend appointments, reducing journey times and delays.
There are more than 8,000 emergency service fleet vehicles that use London’s roads, meaning the Metropolitan Police Service, the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service will benefit from less congestion and faster journey times, helping to provide a better service to all Londoners.
Outpatients who rely on patient transport at all the capital’s hospitals will now be less likely to miss appointments with knock on savings for the trusts themselves, and improved health outcomes for many patients.
TfL says it has continued to ensure the bus network is reliable and has brought in measures to reduce journey times, previously confirming that 85km of bus lanes on the Capital’s busiest roads would be in operation 24-hours a day.
As part of its Bus Action Plan TfL has committed an additional 25km of bus lanes, contributing to the wider goal of increasing bus speeds by 10%.
Christina Calderato, director of transport strategy and policy at TfL, said: “Bus lanes have a proven track record of speeding up journeys, and we’re delighted to see further benefits in this trial for Guy’s and St Thomas’ and thousands of its patients.
“We look forward now to more patients across the capital being able to get to their appointments on time and supporting the vital work of the other emergency services, be it a forensics van needing to get to a crime scene or London Fire Brigade equipment needing to be in the right place at the right time.”
Ian Abbs, chief executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Missing appointments is hugely frustrating for our patients and staff, so we are really pleased that this trial with TfL has reduced journey times by up to 16%.
“It is brilliant that this initiative is being rolled out more widely, meaning even more patients will benefit.”
19 May 2023