Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and construction and consultancy firm Mace have hosted a high-level forum focused on helping reduce accidents between large vehicles and vulnerable road users.
The construction vehicle safety event, held at the University of Manchester, saw TfGM and Mace joined by Greater Manchester Police, Tarmac, Volvo Trucks and Cycling UK to address the issue of work-related road risk with 140 leading industry figures from the region.
TfGM is working with a wide range of organisations to develop a work-related road risk approach for Greater Manchester, including promoting the adoption of the Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) standard by fleet operators.
Improving road safety is a key priority for the region and forms an essential part of the Greater Manchester Freight and Logistics Strategy and draft 2040 Transport Strategy.
Helen Smith, Head of Logistics, Environment & Active Travel at TfGM, said: “The population of Greater Manchester is growing considerably, particularly in urban areas, and this is leading to a significant increase in construction activity and the movement of goods.
“When aligned with our ambition for a significant increase in the proportion of journeys made by walking and cycling, there’s clearly a need to take a proactive approach in addressing the safety of everyone on our highways.
“We’ve already delivered and continue to work on a range of infrastructure projects and activities which make cycling a more attractive and viable travel option and aim to reduce the number of incidents involving cyclists and large vehicles such as HGVs.
“These include a network of cycleways across Greater Manchester, where cyclists are largely separated from other traffic; safety mirrors installed at key traffic signal junctions; and a programme of training for cyclists and professional large vehicle drivers.
“Through our supply chain and working with companies such as Mace, we’re keen to encourage adoption of the CLOCS standard by freight and logistics operators to reduce work-related road risk.
“We’ll be considering changes to our own internal procurement processes to support this initiative further and will be discussing our approach with other public sector organisations.”
Mace became one of the first companies to adopt a London-wide safety standard in 2014 with CLOCS, working with Transport for London.
Over the past two decades Mace has worked on numerous schemes in Greater Manchester, including the refurbishment of Manchester Town Hall, Manchester’s Central Library, the construction of the City of Manchester Stadium for the Commonwealth Games, the creation of the Green Quarter, the reconstruction of the Royal Exchange Theatre after the IRA bomb in 1996 and the relocation of Coronation Street to MediaCityUK.
Mace Director Andy Sharples said: “With construction starts in Manchester up by 10%, it is very important that drivers and vehicles are as safe as they can be when operating on already congested roads and highways.
“It is great to see that construction, operators and manufacturers are working with the police and TfGM to learn from London to raise the bar and set the standard. However, we need to make sure we keep innovating, training and educating to ensure Greater Manchester is a safe place for all road users.
"As a keen cyclist myself, I’m passionate about the need for high standards of safety on the roads. At Mace we are committed to reducing the risk of accidents caused by construction vehicles for vulnerable road users, which is why we’re working with TfGM, Greater Manchester Police and other key stakeholders to adopt a national safety standard.
“As members of the construction sector, and having been recently appointed to the TfGM Transport Professional Services framework, it is our duty to collectively work together and ensure we do everything in our power to make the roads safe for everyone.”