At the full council meeting on 16th February, Green Councillors put forward a motion in support of the Cities fit for Cycling Campaign supported by the Times newspaper. I am particularly concerned about the fact that lorries account for 5% of road traffic accidents but 16% of cycling deathes.
The Safer Cycling Campaign has a manifesto which demands that lorries entering a city centre are required by law to fit appropriate sensors, alarms, and mirrors to protect cyclists and pedestrians. I think that the Council should support this proposal and welcome discussions at a European level on further improvements to standards for heavy goods vehicles to help reduce accidents caused by poor visibility.
As part of the Council's road safety campaigns, it would be helpful to support awareness raising activities which improve a lorry driver's knowledge of what is around them. All operators of large lorries on the roads should volunteer to make their fleets of HGVs cycle friendly.
The UK Contractors Group with a membership of a third of the UK's construction industry has indicated it will produce a strategy to promote greater safety measures to protect cyclists, lorries and vans around building sites. Many members are involved in some of the biggest construction sites in Glasgow. They could be encouraged to ensure they are protecting the safety of cyclists, pedestrians, and road users as part of being a considerate contractor.
Green Councillors asked the Council to develop its action for cycling to take account of the measures highlighted in the Cities Fit for Cycling campaign, and this was agreed unanimously.
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