Mayor Boris Johnson says Transport for London will be looking at restrictions on lorry movements during rush hours 'for reasons of congestion not just cycle safety.'

Johnson was responding during Mayor's Question Time' to questions from London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon who referred to LCC's petition from 13,000 Londoners asking the Mayor to End Lorry Danger. Johnson said rush hour lorry restrictions would be difficult but agreed fully with LCC's view that lorry designs should change to eliminate 'blind spots' and give drivers much better all round vision. He will be writing to Pidgeon with more details of measures to reduce lorry danger.

This morning London Cycling Campaign staff and activists delivered our End Lorry Danger petition for the Mayor to London Assembly Members outside City Hall. We're calling for:

A rush hour lorry ban

The use of direct vision lorries

Stronger enforcement against any fleet operator who puts profits before lives

Our petition signed by over 13,000 Londoners called on the Mayor and TfL to act now to End Lorry Danger in London. The petition was given to London Assembly Members Andrew Boff, Darren Johnson, Caroline Pidgeon and Valerie Shawcross, who have led recent work on lorry danger.

The petition was handed over by David Muslin, a cyclist who was hit from behind by a lorry on Finchley Road in July 2013 and our Chief Executive, Ashok Sinha.

Assembly Members Val Shawcross, Caroline Pidgeon, Andrew Boff, Darren Johnson with lorry victim, David Muslin and LCC CEO, Ashok Sinha

David says:

“I was hit by a lorry on Finchley Road in July 2013. But I’m lucky – I survived. The same year, 14 cyclists lost their lives to lorries in London. That’s why I’m joining the London Cycling Campaign and the London Assembly Members in asking the Mayor to ‘End Lorry Danger’. I don’t want anyone else on a bike, or on foot, to go through what I did – let alone what others have,”

Thousands of people who signed the petition told us why, here's what some of you told us:

The London Assembly recently voted unanimously to urge the Mayor to implement a rush-hour lorry ban; the construction industry to adopt CLOCS (clocs.org.uk) standards, including “direct vision” lorry cabs; the Mayor make direct vision compulsory on all contracts; and for confidential reporting of bad practice for all HGV drivers; plus comprehensive enforcement against rogue operators.

“More and more Londoners are choosing to cycle and walk. And more of us have to, to keep our city moving. But routinely mixing those people with HGVs not only leads to an unacceptable loss of life, but also makes our streets too scary for many to cycle on. Over 13,000 of us are now calling on our current Mayor and the next one, to End Lorry Danger now. We hope they listen,” said Ashok Sinha, London Cycling Campaign

“A united voice by the London Assembly and the huge support for the London Cycling Campaign petition sends out a very clear message that real action is now needed to reduce the casualties and terrible waste of human life taking place on London’s roads,” said Caroline Pidgeon MBE, Assembly Member, Liberal Democrat Party.

“Lorries have been involved in seven of the eight cyclist fatalities in London this year. This shocking toll goes to show how urgently we need the Mayor to take action. London during peak times is simply not a suitable environment for huge trucks. The dangers they pose to cyclists and pedestrians are too great. I hope this Mayor and the next Mayor acknowledge the depth of feeling on this issue,” said Darren Johnson, Assembly Member, Green Party.

“London should be taking a zero tolerance approach to all road deaths and, as part of that, doing everything we can to reduce the dangers posed to cyclists by lorries and HGVs,” said Valerie Shawcross, Assembly Member, Labour Co-Operative Party.

If you'd like to do more to support our campaign to End Lorry Danger, please consider making a donation to LCC