The Ministry of Justice has urged councils in congested cities to let prison vans use bus lanes so defendants reach court on time, saying more than 1,000 court cases were delayed on the day they were due to go ahead last year because defendants failed to arrive on time. The department said one route between HMP Forest Bank and Manchester Crown Court had cut journey times by up to a third.

Courts Minister Sarah Sackman KC said victims should not wait because a defendant is stuck in traffic, calling the access a simple, practical idea. Following rollouts in Bristol, Salford and Nottingham, the department said it had written to other local authorities seeking wider adoption.

The announcement, published on 12 October 2026, cited a record Crown Court backlog of 80,829 cases. The Prisoner Escort and Custody Service facilitates around 350,000 prisoner movements to court each year, the department said, and a new Prisoner Delivery Oversight Board chaired by ministers has been established to identify causes of delays and hold providers to account.