There has been fury after low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) were blamed for delays to more than 3,000 fire engines out on emergency calls in London.
Analysis of data from London Fire Brigade showed firefighters had slowed response times 3,035 times last year and a fifth of fire engine delays happened because of traffic calming measures.
It is a 42 per cent increase on that stats for 2020, when traffic calming measures such as LTNs, speed bumps and 20mph zones caused 2,145 delays to firefighters.
LTNs are supposed to decrease traffic in certain zones but critics say they just increase traffic elsewhere and get in the way of emergency services.
Fire engines were delayed in thousands because of low-traffic areas. in 2021
An engine fire engine trying to get through Upper Tooting Road traffic, as it heads to an emergency. The new LTN zone is covered by Wandsworth Council.
Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, gave hundreds of millions to councils in May 2020 in order to establish LTNs. He wanted to encourage people to use more eco-friendly travel options during this pandemic.
However, the move was met with strong opposition. Many councils have abandoned this controversial plan.
Analysis by The Telegraph revealed that Hackney’s fire engines had the most traffic calming delays, with 168 delays in 2021. Lambeth, however, saw delays close to tripling from 83 in 2020, to 160 in 2021.
Analysing data from London Fire Brigade revealed that firefighters experienced a slow response time of 3,035 times last ye and that traffic calming was responsible for a fifth fire engine delay.
South London’s Bexley was the most affected by traffic calming, followed closely by Merton, Sutton, and Merton. In total, there were just 27, 35, 43, and 43 delays in 2021.
Brixton resident Katie Taylor told MailOnline: ‘I live on Shakespeare Road and have been on the wrong end of a LTN implemented by the Lambeth council.
“We got less than one week’s notice regarding the changes.
“The scheme is still extremely divisive and is creating a lot of distress to residents concerned about many different issues.”
The scheme that is worth hundreds of million of pounds has also hindered ambulances.
It was discovered last year that there were 150 instances in which low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), slowed down London ambulance crews for an 8-month period. (Pictured) A steady flow of patients was brought to Royal London Hospital for 2020.
She said, “There are large fractures emerging” and that there is a growing hostility among different groups.
Meanwhile, Morgan Douglas, who lives in Bowes Park, Enfield, said: ‘The scheme’s masters openly admit that traffic on the main roads surrounding the are will increase.
“Many smaller roads now bear the brunt of this poorly thought-out plan for stationary traffic.”
In September 2020, he said that an ambulance had been parked on top of one of the barriers. The police then chased someone to the barrier so they could pass through.
London Fire Brigade spokesperson said that the attendance targets were to have the first fire engine respond to an emergency within six minutes, and the second within eight minutes.
“We achieved this goal successfully during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we will keep an eye on our progress.
The Brigade supports active travel proposals and works closely with local authorities partners. We are also consulted whenever there is a road closure proposal.
We will discuss any concerns we may have about changes to our response times with the authorities.
“While some information will be provided regarding the effect of low traffic neighbourhood schemes, the data also includes all other traffic calming measures such as speed bumps. Therefore, the LTN scheme is not responsible for all delays.
A spokesperson for Department for Transport stated that traffic-calming plans designed well can reduce congestion in certain areas and help emergency service personnel by helping to alleviate traffic.
“The details of these plans are a matter for the local authorities.