London Assembly member Jenny Jones has called for HGV lorries to be banned from London's streets during the rush hour to try to avoid cyclist deaths.
The Green Party politician was speaking after a cyclist was killed in Camberwell on Monday - which was the sixth fatality in a fortnight and the 14th so far this year. Of those deaths, nine have involved lorries.
Jenny Jones said: "A morning rush hour ban on HGVs is the minimum the Mayor of London can do to make roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. He should consult on this proposal immediately, as waiting for others to act on safety improvements such as European lorry design rules, could take years."
On Monday morning police were out on the streets to target cyclists and drivers who break the law. A total of 20 lorries were stopped with 60 faults on them, and cyclists were advised to wear helmets and high viz jackets.
Jenny Jones said targeting cyclists who don’t wear helmets is a "bad exercise in blaming the victims". She added: "The Met Police can’t go around making up new laws. They should be using an evidence based approach to making our roads safer, which would mean tackling significant problems such as speeding, car dooring, faulty vehicles and taking illegal drivers off the roads. "
Last week Green Party London Assembly member Darren Johnson accused London Mayor Boris Johnson of being in "complete denial" about the problems of cycling safety, and called for cycle lanes and a 20mph speed limit.
getwestlondon is awaiting a comment from the Mayor's office on the suggestion of a rush hour ban for HGV lorries. Please post your comments below and vote in our poll.
