The Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) have published Cycle Safety Action Plan. CTC's response to the consultation is also available.

CTC's response

The document has improved considerably since its draft stages, but CTC still has some concerns about how effective actions to improve the road environment will be and how best to mitigate the specific threat from larger vehicles.

Objectives and analysis

The objectives of the Plan include the need to reduce the rate of cyclists injuries and improve the perception of cycling as a safe and attractive transport option. Both of these are sensible objectives which CTC has called for in our Safety in Numbers campaign.

The Plan sets out some very useful analysis of how the problem of cycle safety is manifested and which maneuvres by which vehicles are most problematic. The document helpfully makes clear that driver failures, such as failing to yield, jumping red lights or turning right across the cyclist's path, are much more significant factors (29% of casualties) than cyclists' disobeying junction controls (5%).

Actions

The Plan sets out 52 actions which various bodies including TfL, the Boroughs, the Department for Transport (DfT) and other bodies are and will be taking to try and improve cycle safety. Many of these actions are helpful and are to be welcomed. In particular there is strong support for the role of cycle training (4 actions) and the priority given to improving enforcement of road traffic law and "strengthening criminal justice arrangements" for dealing with the most serious cases (2 actions). Both of these latter actions are recent and very welcome additions to the programme.

However, some actions are weaker than CTC would like to see:

• the Plan only promises to support those Boroughs that wish to implement speed reduction measures such as 20 mph zones and limits. CTC believes that speed reduction is critical to ensuring a calm and safe road environment for cyclists and we note that this statement is far weaker than the current guidance from the DfT which aims 'for 20 mph zones and limits across most residential streets'
• the Plan suggests that action is required to improve road infrastructure and notes that 79% of casualties occurred at or very near junctions. However there is no mention of the intimidation and danger posed by large gyratories and major junctions. Although interventions such as the Cycle Superhighways seek to improve some junctions, individual major junctions are often the most serious barrier to novice cyclists and there should be an acknowledgement of and plans to deal with these problems.
• proposed training programmes for professional drivers appear to have been watered down. Although the draft promised cycle awareness training for taxi and minicab drivers, the final document only offers "cycle awareness information relating to safety when driving, stopping and opening doors near cyclists."
• the threat posed by lorries is acknowledged, but there is only a voluntary commitment to reduce the number of lorries making deliveries at peak hours. There is no proposal to change lorry access to certain routes or to force all drivers to undergo training. Following campaigning from the London Cycling Campaign and CTC, the work of the Commercial Vehicle Education Unit (CVEU has been partly transferred to the Commercial Vehicle Unit. This Unit will take over the Health and Safety Executive powers of the CVEU, which enable them to inspect operators of Heavy Goods Vehicles and demand improvements in their operation. 

Research and monitoring

CTC is pleased to see that TfL are committed to conducting in-depth research into the threat posed by lorries, including whether or not there are differences in behaviour towards lorries between men and women.