TfL: Bus lanes to be open to all police, ambulance and fire vehicles following successful NHS trial

Police, ambulance and fire vehicles will be able to use bus lanes on London’s main roads even when not dealing with an emergency, after a recent trial found missed NHS appointments at a south London Trust fell by around 20%.

Transport for London (TfL) said the scheme is being rolled out London-wide from today (May 19) on main arterial roads, as it looks to work with the capital’s boroughs to encourage them to also adopt the initiative over the next few months.

The trial, which was run with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and took place over 12 months from February 2022, involved more than 150 non-blue light patient transport vehicles being given access to over 25km of bus lanes in Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth and Lewisham. Bus lanes managed by Lambeth Council were also included.

The trial found that, not only were the number of missed NHS appointments down by a fifth, but the Trust saved money, and there was no impact on bus times.

TfL said it benefited patients unable to use public transport to attend appointments, with journey times and delays reduced.

The transport body added that more than 8,000 emergency service vehicles use the capital’s roads, meaning the Met Police, London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service will all benefit from the scheme’s rollout.

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.”

Seb Dance, deputy mayor for transport, said: “Making journeys in the capital quicker and more efficient is a key priority of the mayor’s. The trial of this initiative resulted in quicker journey times for vulnerable patients, without any negative impact on bus journey times.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to support our colleagues in the emergency services and help improve patients’ experience too.

“We look forward to working with London boroughs to implement it even more widely.”

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.”

TfL said that it will now work with London Councils to “encourage all London boroughs to adopt the same approach to bus lanes on borough roads over the next few months”.