Residents were maddened after seeing a fire engine attending an emergency jammed between parked cars leading up to the main Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) junction in Dulwich Village, even though the council was warned this might happen.
The fire crew were hurtling towards an incident in Eynella Road on April 11, but are reported to have got trapped before reaching the junction because parked cars meant the road was too narrow.
The fire truck is then said to have performed an agonising three-point turn, taking a long-winded detour around Dulwich, arriving at its destination ten minutes late.
Last year, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) wrote to Southwark Highways saying “slight concern remains regarding lane width for large emergency vehicles”.
A spokesman for One Dulwich, a group of local residents and traders, said: “It exposes the madness of closing this vital junction – the only crossroads between the eastern and western halves of Dulwich Village.”
In a separate incident, on 31 March, an ambulance attending an emergency opted not to drive through the same junction because a lack of signage meant they were unaware they could drive through.
Last year, the LAS also wrote to the council urging them to “ensure the route is clearly signed either by road signs or road markings that make it clear the route is open for emergency vehicles.”
A One Dulwich spokesman said: “It’s a mystery why they didn’t install the signs the London Ambulance Service asked for, or extend double yellow lines in Court Lane to avoid fire engines having to take detours.”
In October last year, an estimated 1,000 people converged on the main junction in Dulwich Village demanding the LTNs be removed after they were introduced in March 2020. This followed a consultation in which two-thirds of people asked for the system to be scrapped.
A Southwark spokesperson said: “We have spoken to London Fire Brigade and they have confirmed that parked vehicles on Court Lane were the primary cause of the delay. Thankfully the small fire that they attended was extinguished with no injuries caused to anyone.
“We are currently introducing double yellow lines down both sides of Court Lane up to the first junction with Dekker Road. This will prevent parked cars from stopping further emergency vehicles.
“It is not common practice to sign access for emergency services in such circumstances and there is no provision for this type of sign in the national regulations on highway signage.
“However, we are monitoring the amended layout in real-time, and will be completing a post-construction road safety audit. This will inform any sign improvements that may be needed moving forwards.”