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Earlier this week, the London Cycling Campaign (LCC), Transport for London (TfL) and selected safety experts met to deliver freight safety recommendations to London boroughs.
The conference, arranged and hosted by TfL, was attended by twenty five London boroughs. It delivered details of how to upgrade councils’ lorry operation and procurement procedures to reduce the risk of fatalities involving heavy goods vehicles and to make London a safer city for cyclists.
TfL itself meets the conditions of LCC’s Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling for all its lorry services. All London councils are being lobbied to do the same and sign LCC’s Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling campaign pledge, bringing them in line with TfL. Waltham Forest and Islington boroughs have already done so.
“Tackling the issues that dangerous lorries can cause to vulnerable road users is a core priority for TfL and London Cycling Campaign’s Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling campaign will help further drive this approach across the industry," commented TfL Surface Transport director of planning Ben Plowden.
"If all London councils were to sign up to strict safety standards for their vehicles, together we can all help to create safer streets for vulnerable road users.”
As the LCC’s hard-hitting video points out, "50 per cent of cyclist fatalities involve lorries…yet lorries only make up five per cent of traffic."
