A ban on “unsafe lorries” in London, introduced as part of efforts to protect cyclists, has come into force.
From 1st September, only lorries that meet certain safety standards will be allowed to use London’s roads.
Vehicles that are over 3.5 tonnes will have to have Class V and Class VI mirrors fitted, in order to provide a clearer view of any cyclists and pedestrians.
They will also have to have side guards, meaning that if a cyclist collides with the vehicle they will not be dragged underneath the wheels.
Any firm that fails to observe the new safety rules risks its drivers being served with a £50 fine and could also face up to a £1,000 fine at a Magistrate’s court.
Furthermore, the Traffic Commissioner will be alerted if any firm’s vehicles fail to comply with the scheme and could then decide to change or suspend their operations.
But hauliers criticised the move as a “blunt regulatory tool” and said more should be done to target a minority of rule-breakers on London’s roads.
Natalie Chapman, of the Freight Transport Association, said funds used to launch the scheme would be better spent on targeting “a small proportion of lorries that don’t comply with existing regulations”.
“There are better ways to achieve safer roads for all users,” she said.
Mayor Boris Johnson, however, said the scheme was a “life-saver”.
The new rules, covering all roads in London except motorways, and operating 24 hours a day, were announced after a number of cyclists were killed in road crashes in London.
Seven of the eight cyclist deaths in the capital this year have involved HGVs.
Mr Johnson said: “We are ahead of any other part of the UK in closing the legal loopholes that allowed many HGVs to operate without basic safety equipment,” he said.
“I am delighted that over the 18 months since we announced the safer lorry scheme, the vast majority of operators have got the message and fitted safety equipment to their vehicles in anticipation of the ban.”
Statistics released by Transport for London in June revealed that more people than ever are cycling in the capital, with about 23 million journeys made a year.