The Shadow Transport Secretary, Mary Creagh, has vowed that safety equipment to protect cyclists will be made compulsory on HGVs if Labour wins next year’s UK General Election.

She has also criticised the current coalition government for scrapping road safety targets and letting HGVs travel faster on single carriage roads.

 

While speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester in September she shook things up by promising a ‘Big Change’ to the UK’s current transport policy including ‘London style’ transport powers to other areas of the UK. She also told delegates, “We deserve to travel safely at all times, but this government scrapped Labour’s road safety targets and increased the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles on single track roads, which will lead to more deaths.”

 

Continuing her speech the Shadow Transport Secretary said, “Labour wants walking, cycling and public transport to be attractive options. Long before lycra and bike helmets, everyone used to cycle. I want every child to have the chance to learn to ride a bike safely, and we want to see more people commuting to work by bike too. That is why the next Labour government will ensure that all HGVs are fitted with safety devices to protect pedestrians and cyclists.”

 

A press release issued in December 2013 by Ms. Creagh’s office announced that it wanted HGV operators to sign up to a voluntary charter to make a number of safety improvements on new and existing vehicles. The release said that the voluntary charter was an immediate step that will be backed up by legislation making these safety measures compulsory for HGVs, if Labour wins next May.

 

Ms. Creagh said, “If Labour wins the 2015 election, and the sector hasn’t responded, we will legislate to make these safety features compulsory. Solving the problem of cycling safety needs education, enforcement and engineering. Labour’s HGV Safety Charter is an important first step on that journey and we encourage businesses to sign up.”

In December Labour said that it wanted HGV operators to sign up to a range of safety measures by the middle of 2014. These included rear-view cameras, reversing alarms and day time running lights. This seemed to be impractical both as the charter was not enforced and it would have been impossible to complete all the work in such a short time anyway.  By the end of 2017, Labour wants all HGVs fitted with in-cab warning systems for drivers, side-guards and blind-spot elimination devices - an equally improbable goal for all HGVs in just three years.

 

Ms. Creagh also confirmed the party’s backing for the High Speed 2 rail project, suggesting it will transform the country. She was however cautious and said that costs needed to be kept under control. As well as improving the capacity of the railways to help decrease freight traffic on the roads, it is also planned for a cycle track to run alongside High Speed 2.

 

Photo: Mary Creagh

Editor’s Note

I don’t know about you but, as a cyclist, I don’t fancy the idea of riding along a cycle lane with 300mph trains hurtling by.  Maybe Ms Creagh has never actually ridden a bike!