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Don't scrap road safety police, councillors tell Mayor
December 14, 2009 2:30 PM
Councillor Greg Foxsmith proposed a motion to council calling on Boris Johnson to rethink his cuts to the Police road safety team.
Islington councillors have come together to slam Mayor of London Boris Johnson for threatening to close down a police road safety team. A Liberal Democrat and Green Party joint motion was passed by Council condemning the Mayor over plans to close down the Metropolitan Police Commercial Vehicle Education Unit (CVEU).
The CVEU is staffed by highly-trained police officers who investigate lorries and freight vehicles to ensure they meet road safety regulations. The team also organises safety education events for drivers and cyclists.
Petitions against the closure of the unit are being collected by the London Cycle Campaign and the Truckers' World website.
Council transport chief Greg Foxsmith said:
"There is a huge problem with trucks flouting safety regulations. The vehicle that killed Lisa Pontecorvo on Holloway Road didn't have a legally-required close proximity mirror, for example. Police spot-checks regularly find that over 80% of lorries are breaking the law in some respect.
"This highly-trained police unit is vital to keeping London's roads safe, for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. Everyone from the Cycle Campaign to Truckers' World value the work the police do to help haulage firms operate safely and think that axing their funding is a terrible idea. Apparently only Boris still needs convincing."
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