We've established a new partnership with Transport
for London to allow their Emergency Response Unit vehicles to use
flashing blue lights when responding to incidents on the Tube
network.
In a trial scheme the specialist unit that responds when
incidents such as person under train or broken down trains cause a
threat to the safety of passengers will become a police vehicle. It
will travel under the same ‘Blue Light’ conditions used by police,
ambulance and fire services. This means that it will be able to cut
through London’s traffic more quickly, cutting response times and
so enhancing passenger safety by reducing disruption and delays
across the network.
Three ERU vehicles, which will operate from Camden, have been
painted in BTP livery and kitted out with lights and sirens. They
will carry engineers with specialist equipment and be driven by
seven of our officers who will be working full time with the
Unit.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Pacey, who attended the launch of
the trial at Canary Wharf station on Thursday 9 February, said:
"Passenger safety will be improved by using
'blue lights' to get engineers and equipment to the scene of
incidents as quickly as possible.
"Stuck trains will be freed from tunnels
more quickly, enhancing passenger safety. By getting the line
moving sooner there will also be fewer crowd safety issues in and
around stations."
When will the blue lights be used?
Use of the blue lights on the ERU vehicle will be subject to the
same criteria as any other incident that police attend in that
public safety must be at risk before they can be activated.
They will only be used when there is:
- Threat to life
- Serious injury to a person
- Use of or immediate threat of a use of violence
- Serious damage to property
Latest news
Evening Standard reports that 'Blue Light' scheme "has almost
halved critical incident response time in the first month of
operation".
Read more here.
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