EMERGENCY services today welcomed plans to ban general traffic from driving into St John's Lane from Old Haymarket.
Shahid Ali, who manages central Liverpool for Merseyside ambulance service, said: "We aim to reach every emergency within eight minutes, and for every extra minute it takes, the patient's survival chances fall by 10%.
"That is why it is so important that we have clear access to all parts of the city centre when there are roadworks and congestion.
"Although there were some teething problems when Berry Street and Renshaw Street went one way, we have not suffered any major difficulties."
PC Angie Smith from Merseyside police's traffic management unit said: "We fully support the council's decision.
"This will make sure all emergency vehicles can continue to provide an efficient and effective response.
"As anyone who has ever called the emergency services will know, a few minutes can make a big difference in some situations."
A spokeswoman for Merseyside fire and rescue service said ongoing disruption was "inevitable".
She added: "We are working closely with all the various agencies involved in the regeneration of Liverpool city centre to ensure we can continue to deliver our emergency response.
"This is recognised by these measures which have been taken to continue to give us access."
News RSS Feed