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Cyclists and lorry drivers to swap places in Boris’s safety campaign
Katharine Barney, City Hall Reporter23.10.09
Lorry drivers will be forced to undergo cycle safety training as part of Boris Johnson's plans to get more Londoners onto bikes.
Under his new cycle safety strategy, launched today, cyclists will also be invited to sit inside HGVs to learn how restricted the driver's view can be.
The Mayor is spending £3 million on schemes to encourage nervous cyclists as well as supporting the use of HGV mirrors that remove blind spots.
There has been a nine per cent rise in cycling in London since Mr Johnson became Mayor and his cycle hire scheme aims to boost that. But campaigners say action is needed to cut bike-related injuries and deaths. Ten cyclists have been killed in accidents this year, according to the London Cycling Campaign.
Mr Johnson said: “Cycling in London is safer now than it was a decade ago.
But with so many potential pelotons of new cyclists taking to our roads it is imperative we take action now to ensure safety. I know as well as anyone the dangers of cycling alongside a HGV, and I want to work with the Government, freight companies and anyone else who can help make cycling safe.”
Under the new safety strategy:
* Cycle safety awareness will become a mandatory part of HGV drivers' training for their Certificate of Professional Competence.
* The Mayor will work with more than 300 companies that operate lorries.
* They will be encouraged to install sidebars and other safety devices on HGVs.
* More innovative safety measures will be tested, following trials of the Trixi mirror that removes blind spots.
* “Exchanging Places” events will take place, with cyclists able to sit in lorries and see the driver's point of view.
There will be a drive to sign up more people to free, Transport for London funded cycle training for adults and children. Last year 5,875 adults and 39,118 children took part. As well as the hire scheme, Mr Johnson plans 12 “cycle superhighways” leading into central London. But Green Assembly member Jenny Jones, a cyclist, said the superhighways were not safe enough.
Last year eight people died and 84 were injured on the routes.
Ms Jones also criticised the Mayor for closing the Met's Commercial Vehicle Education Unit. The unit, which checked safety measures, had targeted lorries and found the law was being broken in 80 per cent of cases.
Ms Jones said: “The Mayor is inviting thousands of new and inexperienced cyclists to share main lorry routes into London, while cutting frontline police officers who are taking dangerous lorries off the roads. These penny-pinching cuts are an insult to the memories of the people who have lost their lives under the wheels of lorries in London.”
A spokesman for the Mayor said the vehicle education unit's work would be transferred to TfL. He said Mr Johnson was investing a record £111 million in cycling in 2009/10.
The Mayor's record so far
Cycle Superhighways
Twelve routes from outer London into the centre will be developed, with the first two in place by next summer.
They will be wide lanes painted blue on major roads, and at least 1.5m wide, with continuous cycle lanes at junctions and advanced stop boxes. The first two are expected to cost £22 million. The Green Party has warned the Mayor is not putting enough safety measures into the routes.
Cycle Hire Scheme
Mr Johnson claims he is still on course to deliver a rental scheme of 6,000 bikes in Zone 1 by next summer — although the date has been pushed back from May.
Planning applications for 400 bike docking stations are going through the system. A prototype of the bicycle was unveiled this month. No mention made of the original estimate of 6,000 to 10,000 bikes.
Cycle Fridays
These rides were intended to guide nervous cyclists into the City on six routes, led by marshals. The scheme ran for eight Fridays but only 436 people turned up — on one occasion it was just two. The rides were estimated to have cost £30,000 — £68.80 per participant. Critics branded it a “complete flop”.
Summer of Cycling
A series of promotions to encourage people to get on their bikes, climaxing in last month's Skyride in central London, when 65,000 riders took advantage of streets free of cars.
Reader views (19)
Why doesn't Boris do anything about all the cyclists on our pavements?
They are a menace to everyone, especially the visually impaired. Why don't all cyclists spend a day trying to get around London blindfolded? Would someone in the media please challenge Boris-the-pavement-cyclist to do this?
He might have a different point of view after the nightmare day I guarantee he would have.
- Flora, London
Kimberly - how much thought did you put into your pointless post? I don't cycle myself nor do I attempt to drive in central London. Cycling is good excercise, generates minimum CO2, is very low cost and is quicker than driving through congested areas.
Put it another way how much more congested would central London be if all the cyclists drove cars? How many more buses needed if they all wanted to catch a bus instead?? You should be grateful for the cyclists' sacrifice of comfort so you have one less car to be held up behind!
- Nigel, London
this makes me MAD! As an ex-HGV1 driver, i have lost count of the times a cyclist (or moped rider on L plates), has pulled up on the inside of my Artic when i am signalling left at a Junction, and then rides off straight ahead blindly ignoring my indicators. This is often followed by another 3 or 4 cyclists - all seemingly intent on being squashed by my 28 tonnes of biscuits!! FACT - Cyclists should wait BEHIND the first vehicle at a junction - then move to the left when the vehicle manouvres - this may save a few lives.
- Gary, amesham
Well if Boris wants more of these bloody two wheeled nightmares on the roads then MAKE THEM PAY INSURANCE like we all have too they cause enough accidents !
- Linda Cliff, London
So are you honestly expecting youngsters who ride bikes to pay insurance, how are they going to fund this, with their pocket money?
You can bleat all you want about tax and insurance but its never going to happen.
- Dc, London
I see the usual rabid anti-cyclists comments.
I passed my cycling test years ago, I cycle on the road, I use lights & believe it not I indicate where I am going. Guess what my biggest problem is??? It is not lorry drivers or bus drivers, but idiot car drivers who believe they are the only people that should be on the road. If you all allowed a little more time to get somewhere rather than leaving it til the last minute, you would not need to drive like the devil posessed in a hurry with no care paid to any other vehicle/cycle on the road.
- Dom, london
I sincerely hope that these lorry drivers will be allowed to wear their own clothing whilst undergoing cycle safety training, and not made to dress up so as to resemble entrants in a Best Dressed Condom competition!
- Pete Gardner, Monmouth Great Britain
Well if Boris wants more of these bloody two wheeled nightmares on the roads then MAKE THEM PAY INSURANCE like we all have too they cause enough accidents !
- Linda Cliff, London
Funny that. HGV drivers already have to sit tests and obtain a licence before they can take to the roads. Cyclists don't. Yet it's the HGV driver who has to take further training to avoid the "don't touch me, I'm a cyclist" brigade who jump lights, ride on pavements and overtake up the left hand side.
Only yesterday, I had one such cyclist shout at me to "get out the way". We were on the pavement at the time - which, as a pedestrian, is my right of way.
- Jock, London
I still fail to see why anyone would want to be placed in such perilous danger and have to exert so much energy on two wheels out in the open when a nice, air conditioned warm and secure car is so much nicer to get around town. These cyclists obviously have no ambition to do better in life to use such a primitive form of transport.
- Kimberley, London
To John London UK.
I know that particular crossing at is on my commute to work. For your information that crossing, a pelican crossing near Hyde Park Corner is divided into two areas, one for cyclists and the other for pedestrians.
If you're going to make an argument, make it a proper one and not let your prejudices cloud the issue.
Funny how you didn't comment against the jogger. I suppose joggers running through supposed red lights are ok in your book. 
- Chris Kelly, London
John, nice comment, if only it were correct, that's a picture of a cycle crossing on Hyde Park corner coming into Hyde Park, where 2 way traffic flows across the road in a cycle lane. At least you didn't immediately jump to a conclusion and slate all cyclist in the process making yourself look like an utter idiot though eh?
- Bob, Cheam
John - you don't know what you're talking about. That cycle crossing is at Hyde Park Corner - I use it every day. You can't possibly cross it when the crossing lights aren't green - you'd be under the wheels of 5 lanes of motor traffic! No one is cycling the wrong way or going through a red light
- Richard, London
Untll cyclists get their house in order the loathing of them will continue.
Boris GET THEM OFF THE BLOODY PAVEMENTS AND STOP PANDERING TO THEM.
Cysclists in general are the most selfish and arrogant people around, they expect everything done for them, and do nothing in return.
- P Staker, London
John London UK
Where is the red light, are you looking a a different photo? You are making alot of assumptions in your analysis.
- David, London
The photograph with this article illustrates brilliantly why London cyclists provoke such loathing from other road users and pedestrians. Of the 9 cyclists in the picture, 3 cyclists have just gone through a red light, 1 is cycling the wrong way down the road, 1 is cycling across a pedestrian crossing and 1 is stopped on the pavement. With increasing numbers of cyclists, as many cannot behave with consideration, we must have proper prosecutions for cyclists that refuse to follow the rules of the road.
- John, london uk
I don't know about you but I am getting a bit fed up of the constant dribble of cycling related initiatives coming out off the Mayors office.
It is about time Johnson buckled down to the real issue of unemployment this is one of the things he was elected to do. I do not remember this huge cycling agenda
I want to see a weekly reported initiative about real job creation that can bring in income from outside the UK every week and nothing about cycling, thank you.
This does not bode well for the Conservatives, elected on one platform wasting money on costly irrelevant initiatives. Mr Johnson’s work to date rather makes the Conservatives unelectable.
Get on message for the real problems in London Boris!
- James, City of London
The should also look at training cyclists. The first few points might be:-
i) If you cannot see their mirror how can they see you
ii) You do not overtake lorries turning left on the inside
iii) Red lights mean stop!
iv) You do not weave between pedestrins on crossings and the pavement
When I was at school most of us took the Cycling Proficiency test. Now 70% of cyclists seem to be arrogant idiots!
- Michael De Ferrari, London
I'm a cyclist and a car driver and I have to just shake my head at Boris's lame attempts at getting people onto bikes and then keeping them safe. The problem is that there are idiot car drivers and idiot cyclists, no amount of stupid publicity stunts will change that as the problem category will never be a part of it, they're too arrogant.
- Bob, Cheam
Why can't the green party support Boris on this, it seems like an excellent idea all round.
- St, London
