Transport for London
The Mayor and TfL plan to improve cycle safety
29 October 2009
The Mayor wants to hear your views on new Cycle Safety Action Plan.
The Freight industry, along with London's boroughs and cycling groups, have been invited to comment on the document, which promotes the cycling safety to all road users.
Plans include:
- Encouraging HGV operators in London to take cycling safety seriously and join TfL's Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS)
- Working with freight companies who operate construction vehicles
- Calling for Government action to improve HGV safety
- Championing trials of innovative safety measures
- Providing new safe cycle routes and facilities such as Cycle Superhighways and the central London Cycle Hire Scheme
- Boosting cyclists' confidence through training
- Creating a Cycle Safety Working Group of key road user and cycling organisations
You can download a copy of the plan and have your say by visiting our cycle safety website.
Ben Plowden, Director of Integrated Programmes at TfL, said: 'Roughly 200 million cycle journeys are made every year on London's roads, and the vast majority of those journeys are completed safely.
'Tragically though, every year a small number of cyclists never make it home, and the majority of those deaths involve a goods vehicle.'
In support of the plan's launch, TfL's Freight, Cycling, Walking and Accessibility and Road Safety teams worked with the Metropolitan Police to run the latest in a series of events entitled 'Exchanging Places' on Friday 23 October.
Cyclists had the opportunity to sit in an HGV cab to better understand the safest places to position themselves on the road, and police officers were on hand to talk to drivers about their driving.
The next events are planned for 10 November and 26 November 2009. For information on future events encouraging freight drivers and cyclists to share the road safely, please email the Freight team
Dan Evanson, FORS Manager, said: 'Improving safety within the freight industry is a key objective of FORS and events like these are a great way of encouraging drivers and cyclists to look out for each other.'
