Analysis by the London Fire Brigade suggests that roads blocked to make way for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods contributed to 3,000 delays to engines responding to emergency calls last year.

The Telegraph says firefighters experienced slowed response times 3,035 times, equivalent to 253 each month, due to “traffic calming” measures. That’s up 42% on 2020, when there were 2,145 delays triggered by schemes meant to control motor cars.

The report says the statistics showed that in 2021, roughly one in five delays to fire engine callouts were due to traffic calming measures – the second most frequent reason for slowed responses – behind only congestion and roadworks, which were responsible for 7,433 delays.

It says traffic calming measures were also more frequent than delays caused by incomplete or wrong addresses being given, which were listed as the reason for delay 1,739 times in 2021.

(Picture – Croydon Council)