Lorry ratings scheme could see thousands banned from London in bid to protect cyclists

A MAYORAL plan to make London's roads safer for cyclists by banning thousands of lorries has been blasted as 'demonising' the vehicles.

The city’s mayor Sadiq Khan wants to introduce a rating system from zero to five stars for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) based on the level of vision the driver has from the cab.

If his proposals are implemented then the 35,000 zero star-rated HGVs which currently operate in the capital would be banned by January 2020.

Only those lorries with a rating of at least three stars would be allowed on London's roads by 2024.

Mr Khan said such "bold action" was needed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians but the Road Haulage Association (RHA) accused the mayor of "demonising lorries".

Nine cyclists and 66 pedestrians were killed in the capital last year, according to Transport for London (TfL).

The mayor's office said that over the past two years HGVs were involved in 23% of pedestrian fatalities and 58% of cyclist deaths in London, despite accounting for just 4% of the miles driven in the city.

TfL and the wider Greater London Authority will "lead by example" and ensure all HGVs used in their supply chains have good all-round visibility from the driver's cab.

Mr Khan said the scheme is the first of its kind in the world and would result in many lorries being upgraded before the ban comes into place.

He said: "I'm not prepared to stand by and let dangerous lorries continue to cause further heartbreak and tragedy on London's roads.

";The evidence is clear - HGVs have been directly involved in over half of cycling fatalities over the last two years, and we must take bold action to make our roads safer for both cyclists and pedestrians.

"I'm determined to ensure the most dangerous zero star-rated lorries are removed from our roads completely by 2020."

But the RHA's chief executive Richard Burnett said that the "imposition of unnecessary rules on haulage firms is unfair".