Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to provide training for drivers of heavy goods vehicles to increase awareness of the dangers faced by cyclists.

In addition to licence acquisition tests which require drivers to demonstrate knowledge of vulnerable road users, the EU mandated Driver Certificate of Professional Competence requires drivers of heavy goods vehicles to carry out five days of further training in every five year period. Within the confines of the Directive, we would encourage drivers and employers to select the training which best meets their needs, which may be a course on vulnerable road users.

We welcome initiatives such as 'Exchanging Places' events where cyclists and drivers of HGVs and buses get to experience the others' perspective, and encourage local authorities to consider such activities which can improve road sharing.