Cyclist Awareness Training for LGV / HGV drivers – pt 1

Crossrail, London’s new rail service, to open in 2017, will be training professional LVG / HGV drivers on Cyclist Awareness. The training will take place over the next seven years and is estimated to apply to 3,500 drivers.

The training programme will be a requirement for any Crossrail’s driver who makes more than five round trips to a Crossrail site over the year, and who drives a vehicle of 3.5 tonnes or over. The truck driver training aims to equip drivers with the skills they need to safely navigate London’s busy roads, without endangering any cyclists – who can be difficult to spot.

The Cyclist Awareness training programme has been supported by the London Cycling Campaign, Roadpeace, Cycle Touring Club as well as the Transport Minister and Mayor of London.

Crossrail has already made plans to minimise the impact of its construction in Central London by creating dedicated ‘Lorry Routes’. These routes will be well signposted from the main road network, to ensure that drivers keep to the approved routes. With this, as well as the cyclist training, road safety is a priority and any disruption should be kept to a minimum.

An increasing number of Londoners are using bicycles to navigate the city, and so it is more necessary than ever to have any additional HGV drivers aware of this, and of how to look out for cyclists.