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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Friday, 27 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. It was answered by Sarah Sackman (Labour) on Monday, 9 March 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoner Escorts: Bus Lanes

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Deputy Prime Minister sets out vision for the justice system, published on 24 February 2026, which additional local authorities plan to adopt the scheme allowing prisoner transport vans to use bus lanes.

Answer

We agree with Sir Brian’s Leveson’s recommendation in the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts that Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) should be enabled to use bus lanes when transporting prisoners. However, these decisions are ultimately for local authorities.

PECS vehicles already use bus lanes in Manchester, Bristol, Salford and Nottingham. We are currently engaging with local authorities across the country to expand this, and will work with the Department for Transport to ensure that local authorities are aware of the role they can play in reducing prisoner delays. For example, in London we are working closely with Transport for London to pilot a scheme that retimes traffic signals to prioritise PECS vans on three routes in the capital. Around 300 traffic lights will be adjusted so that PECS vehicles are more likely to receive green lights on their journey to court.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
116617
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Bus lanes Prisoner escorts
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk