The city of London will be banning large lorries from driving around on its roads if they don’t have certain safety equipment. It is part of an effort to give cyclists more protection.
Under “The Safer Lorry Schemes”, from September 1 2015, all vehicles that weigh over 3.5 tonnes will need to have side guards and extra mirrors.
If lorry drivers ignore the regulations they will face fines of £1000. The regulations apply to all roads in the Greater London area – apart from motorways.
Provisional figures indicate that five out of 13 cyclists killed on the capital’s roads last year were hit by HGVs.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Transport for London and the Department for Transport have all voiced their support of the initiative.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said that under the new rules the lives of cyclists and pedestrians would be much safer.
Johnson, said: “We know that a large number of cyclist deaths and serious injuries involve a relatively small number of trucks and lorries that are not fitted with basic safety equipment.
“Such vehicles are not welcome in the capital and the Safer Lorry Scheme will see them effectively banned from our streets. The lives of thousands of cyclists and pedestrians will be much safer as a result and I urge all operators of HGVs to get on board and make it a success.”
Transport commissioner, Sir Peter Hendy pointed out the key role that that freight plays.
“Equally vital is ensuring that we can all safely use our roads and this is why I am pleased to announce the launch of the country’s first Safer Lorry Scheme. London’s lead in improving the safety and efficiency of freight has once again been demonstrated.”
“The Safer Lorry Scheme is a fantastic example of the benefits of partnership working. The rogue minority of HGVs that operate on our roads without effective basic safety equipment will be forced to improve or be banned.”