Transport for London (TfL) and Mayor Boris Johnson have agreed to ban any lorry without safety equipment from entering London, in a bid to protect cyclists and pedestrians across the capital.æ The proposed Safer Lorry Scheme received 90 per cent of the votes in a recent public consultation. Traffic orders to implement the scheme are currently in the process of being published, and the installation of road signs at the London boundary have also begun.æ Police officers are being trained to check vehicles and information campaigns targeting drivers and hauliers are being rolled out. The scheme will start to be enforced from 1 September 2015, the date by which all warning signs are expected to be in place. All roads in Greater London with the exception of motorways will be covered, and all vehicles above 3.5 tonnes will be included. To enter the area, HGVs will need to be fitted with sideguards to protect cyclists from being dragged under the wheels, and also with Class V and Class VI mirrors to improve driver visibility. The scheme will be in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week.æ The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the HGV Taskforce and the Metropolitan Police will all be responsible for enforcing it, with a fine of £1,000 the penalty for a breach. London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, said: 'Improving the safety of London's roads is a top priority. 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.î HGVs are disproportionately represented in terms of fatalities in the capital.æ Three out of the 14 cyclist deaths to occur in the capital during 2013 involved HGVs.
