Interview with a Transport Manager re Lorries & Cyclist Campaign

This was an easy ‘interview’ to do.  My brother is a transport manager for a big commercial corporation (and he has recently taken up cycling by the way).

Firstly, as he deals with the Safety aspect of these drivers, he was very pleased to hear that I am encouraging other cyclists to report dangerous and rogue lorry drivers to their employers (giving them full facts, reg, date and description and photos. He said more members of the public should report them because they do ‘all sort of things’ and some are ‘just terrible’ and he was ‘fed up with them’.

He told me that one member of the public reported a lorry for erratic driving on a motorway. They used this special 0800 which was on the back of the lorry. Apparently these numbers are ‘very effective’, and he knew about this problem very quickly after the call. Turns  out that the lorry had been stolen and that was the reason it was being driven badly.

Then I asked him what happens when the vehicle is reported. He said they would have ‘preliminary meetings’ to ‘investigate the matter’. If it happens again, then it is taken very seriously (well, depends what he did in the first place). Basically if this lorry driver keeps breaking the rules, then the company taken a very hard line with them.

So the moral of this story, is to take all the details, place, photo etc etc and tell the company the employee works before. My brother said that if more people bothered to do that, then the drivers would have a lot more respect and treat the public a lot better, as they have a lot to lose ie their pay packet. As they are moaning about the credit crunch and the fuel crisis, cyclists can make it a lot worse for them if they don’t behave!

He also said that he had new delivery of new trucks arriving and they all had 3 mirrors on the right hand side of the driver’s seat and one on the left, so more than usual. Though he did say, ‘it was up to legislation’ to make them have the proper mirrors.

Another good thing is that he is happy for me to send the Lorry & Cyclist Youtube Video. Just goes to show that if you can ‘use your connections’ say, to pass on the message that lorries are dangerous, then we better use it.

Boris wants to treble cycling.. even though the Law is a Mess

Despite the English Legal System being heavily against the cyclist when injured or killed and  the CTC saying not enough is being paid towards safer cycle paths and the lack of compulsory wide blind spot mirrors for lorry drivers, Boris seems to want to treble cycling in London.

According to the London Cycling Campaign’s website, they “welcome London Mayor Boris Johnson’s formal declaration of his determination to boost cycling in London more than threefold, giving it a share of all journeys that is above 5% – more than 1.7 million journeys per day. 

Responding to LCC members’ magazine London Cyclist and BikeRadar, Johnson said:

“I fully intend to ensure that the cycling share of London journeys is massively increased in the coming years. TfL is working towards a target of 5% by 2025, but I will be working with TfL and the boroughs on new ideas that might enable us to be more ambitious. I’ve already asked TfL to develop plans for a bicycle hire scheme for London, along the lines of the hugely popular Velib scheme in Paris, to make cycling accessible to everyone.  We’ll work to make cycling safer and more convenient, and we’ll work with the boroughs to make cycling a priority. £2 million will also be made available for more secure parking facilities such as the Finsbury Park cycle park.”

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Perhaps they can change a few laws that will actually benefit cyclists  like some other countrie Safety has to be backed up with better and supporting laws.

 

Travel Bulletins: Motorist bias?

I’ve started to listen to the local radio in the mornings to see if cyclists get any ‘travel news’ ie road works blocking cycle paths, trees, diversions, lighting problems….

Unlikely eh, although there was an ad for personal injury solicitors!  Still waiting for undertaker’s ads! -A  reflection of a morning commute in the rush hour!

Weather reports though are normally helpful.