Transport for London’s delay in promoting awareness programmes is turning lorry drivers into scapegoats and putting the lives of cyclists and other road users at risk, says the FTA.
Gordon Telling, head of policy in London, said: “TfL’s current inaction is stigmatising lorries in London. Safety is the responsibility of all road users, but because of their size, it is easy to point the finger at trucks.
“The blame game is a red herring, because there are two sides to every story. That is why the FTA is committed to the better education of cyclists and lorry drivers alike.”
The FTA says it works closely with agencies such as the police and local authorities in a bid to improve understanding of the rights and responsibilities of both cyclists and lorry drivers.
Telling added: “The logistics industry has already invested around £70 million to retrofit mirrors, but you cannot put a price on safety. The FTA has already done a great deal in encouraging best practice among our members as well as take-up of special Fresnel lenses to improve drivers’ ability to see cyclists. All we are asking is for TfL and others to meet us halfway to make the capital’s roads safer.”
The FTA is part of the TfL-led Share the Road group, which sets out to develop common actions and branding for road safety projects, but Telling suggests the group is becoming little more than a talking shop and that the TfL needs to be pushed into action.
