THERE seems to be a diplomatic silence from the senior personnel within the branches of the emergency services regarding the saga of Ann Reid's testing of York's traffic light system.
Any valid system test has to replicate operating conditions and to provide feedback by qualified personnel, remembering that in an initial test faults and inconsistencies are likely to occur.
Approaching traffic lights at a maximum speed of 30mph in possession of a car driving licence does not fulfil these criteria.
The many claims that Ann Reid's test saved emergency services resources are spurious. Crewed vehicles on the road in radio contact with base would probably arrive at an emergency more quickly than scrambled "from cold".
City of York Council developed this worthwhile system, but it is not the end user. If a convoy of fire emergency service vehicles has used the system satisfactorily since the wedding that is excellent, otherwise it remains untested.
Keith Wellburn,
The Village,
York.
Updated: 10:30 Friday, November 04, 2005
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