Major site visitors gentle change to cease courtroom circumstances working late unveiled

On Mar 9, 2026

The Ministry of Justice told The Mirror that 300 traffic lights are being adjusted in London to make sure Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) vans get through faster – meaning defendants are not late for court

06:00, 09 Mar 2026

Hundreds of traffic lights are set to be adjusted on routes between prisons and courts in a bid to stop trials being halted.

David Lammy told The Mirror the move will deliver faster justice after over 1,000 cases were delayed and rescheduled last year because of defendants arriving late. Around 300 traffic lights will be adjusted so Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) vans are more likely to get green lights on their way to court.

Routes where this is happening include roads between HMP Belmarsh and the Old Bailey in London. Justice Secretary Mr Lammy said last night: “Behind every delay is someone waiting for justice.

“Delays erode confidence in the justice system and consigns victims to further trauma – which is why we are urgently acting to get prisoners to court on time. By getting the simple things right we can cut down on wasted court time and, alongside our pragmatic reform and record levels of investment, we can deliver faster and fairer justice for victims.”

Transport for London (TfL) is retiming the signals to prioritise vans so they will are more likely to encounter a green light on three routes in the capital.

These save an average of four minutes between HMP Belmarsh and the Old Bailey. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said this would result in savings of almost 53 days if applied to the backlog of 18,961 cases across London.

Other routes included in a pilot scheme include roads between HMP Wandsworth and Southwark Crown Court and HMP Thameside to Inner London Crown Court.

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Work is ongoing in Manchester, Bristol, Salford and Nottingham to speed up PECS vehicles, the MOJ said.