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Cycle training for London lorry drivers gets public support

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In what can only be described as a truly wonderful response, more than 10,000 people have signed the London Cycling Campaign’s (LCC) petition calling for all London councils to provide cyclist-awareness training for their lorry drivers.

The petition was presented to London Assembly members representing the four major parties yesterday (18 May) at City Hall. The petition in turn will be handed to London Mayor Boris Johnson by Conservative Assembly Member Andrew Boff.

No More Lethal Lorries

The LCC ran its No More Lethal Lorries campaign in March to collect as many as signatures as it could to get local councils to consider lorry driver training. Lorries have been involved in 50% of cyclist collisions in London in recent years, even though they make up only 5% of traffic.

Lambeth Council pioneered the training programme which enables lorry drivers to experience urban cycling and helps them understand the cycle user’s perspective.

Objectives of the campaign

Following LCC lobbying, the number of councils in Greater London providing the training has increased from one to five. But the LCC wants the training scheme to be included as part of the regular professional training received by lorry drivers and that it is included in the Transport for London FORS (Freight Operators Recognition Scheme) quality standard scheme that 21 boroughs have already signed up to.

The LCC is further asking the Mayor to lobby the government to approve ‘on-bike’ cycle training for lorry drivers.

LCC chief executive Ashok Sinha said he trusted that politicians in every London council as well the Mayor would respond to the call for action brought by the number of signatories to the No More Lethal Lorries petition.

Cycle deaths in 2010

The petition was presented as the TFL released figures that showed ten cyclists died last year on London road (compared to 13 in 2009). There was also an increase in the number of people seriously injured while cycling which went up from 420 to 457. The number of slightly injured also rose - up 9% to 3,540.

Photo above used with courtesy from Ben Broomfield

See also

Funds made available for small London cycling projects

Day of action for No More Lethal Lorries campaign

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