Transport For London, the ruling entity for motorized vehicle transportation within the English capital, has recently proposed a new lorry-safety scheme, which aims to make haulage contracts within the City easier and safer for both drivers and civilians.

Dubbed the ‘Safer Lorry Scheme – The Way Forward’, this new programme seeks to ensure that every lorry undertaking haulage contracts within the London city limits is equipped with cyclist safety equipment, with a view to reducing the number of accidents involving bicycles and heavy goods vehicles that take place in the City. These fittings will include, but not be limited to, side guards and suitable mirrors, and any lorry not carrying these will be banned from entering the city limits. To monitor this, Transport For London is proposing to use cameras similar to those currently employed to oversee and enforce congestion charging.

While not particularly burdensome to most of the transport sector, this legislation would nevertheless affect construction and cement lorries, waste vehicles and tipper trucks. These types of vehicles are currently exempt from this sort of ruling and could, as a consequence, incur added costs for the mandatory refitting.

These measures have, so far, been met with a mixed reaction from relevant entities and those who make a living from haulage contracts - with the most vocal among them being the Freight Transport Association. Spokespeople within the FTA have come on record with a prominent transport news portal to declare that these measures are poorly thought through, and far too vague and simplistic for what the unsafe situation in question demands. According to these parties, the measures being proposed by Transport For London could affect smaller cargo vehicles, such as Transit vans, and cause them to inadvertently break other regulations. The FTA employees in question have considered that the TfL officials in charge of drafting the ruling were not sufficiently aware of road safety issues.

London has long been at the forefront of road safety innovations, a tradition these measures seek to carry on.

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Haulage Exchange is an online trading platform which aims to connect haulers with empty vehicles (often on return journeys) to contractors with loads that need to be delivered. Learn more about them at www.haulageexchange.co.uk/

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