Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond has pledged to take action against the number of cycling accidents involving heavy goods vehicles in urban areas.

He told a Parliamentary reception that he and Transport for London Commissioner Sir Peter Hendy have agreed to set up a working group to look at the danger posed to cyclists by large lorries. More than half of all cyclist deaths in the capital are caused by collisions with goods vehicles.

Mr Hammond was prompted to take action following the death of cyclist Dr Katharine Giles of University College London, who was killed in April after colliding with a lorry at a junction in Victoria.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of a report by the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group which calls for 10% of all journeys in Britain to be made by bicycle, compared with the current level of 2%. The report adds that at least £10 per person per year should be allocated from the transport budget for spending on cycle initiatives and that 20MPH speed limits should become standard in urban areas.

Limiting the number of HGVs on the busiest urban streets at the busiest times is another recommendation in the repot. But the Freight Transport Association reacted by claiming such a measure was not practical and could damage the economy.

Road safety charity Brake’s deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said the report’s call for action is “an important recognition that getting more people cycling means we need bold steps to make our streets safer.”

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