World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
TfL says Oxford Street barriers caused no ambulance delay
Footage shared by Westminster councillor Timothy Barnes showed an ambulance stopping at barriers to Oxford Street’s new pedestrian zone, prompting concerns that emergency crews could be delayed. Transport for London said the ambulance had stopped to ask for directions and was helped through without delay; the London Ambulance Service said crews had reported no delays since the changes began.
The half-mile zone, which crosses Oxford Circus, opened on 26 October and bars bicycles, cars, buses and taxis between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. The £150 million scheme includes plans for benches and trees, while TfL says staff can open the barriers for emergency vehicles and that it has worked with emergency services on access arrangements. Barnes also described a separate incident in which paramedics reportedly parked further down Oxford Street and ran to a patient.
In short
- An ambulance stopped at barriers on Oxford Street.
- TfL says it was asking for directions and was not delayed.
- Ambulance crews say they have reported no delays since the changes.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
TfL and the ambulance service say the footage does not show a delay: the crew stopped to ask for directions, was guided through, and crews have reported no delays since the zone opened. The barriers can be opened for emergency vehicles, and TfL says it planned access arrangements with emergency services, supporting the view that the scheme can prioritise pedestrians while preserving emergency access.
The case against
The footage of an ambulance stopping at the barriers, alongside a reported separate call where paramedics parked further down the street and ran, gives reasonable grounds to scrutinise how access works in practice. Even if this crew was helped through without delay, critics may argue that barriers and unfamiliar arrangements could create confusion or slow crews in other circumstances, so assurances should be tested against continued operational experience.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Fury as ambulance appears stuck behind barriers at Oxford Street’s ‘pedestrian-only’ zone”.