Trucks and Bikes: Sharing the Roads

More cycling in urban areas could alleviate congestion that would benefit logistics operations as well as provide health and environmental benefits to the community at large. However, cycling within many Australian cities is currently being impeded due to poor road design and the absence of best practice freight vehicle standards (amongst other deterrents). Rising levels of fear and road trauma are creating the opportunity to address safety issues associated with the interaction between trucks and bicycles in urban areas. Those involved in city logistics can help to promote cycling and other forms of active transport by participating in the development and implementation of measures that increase the level of safety for cyclists. Measures that could be supported include: intersection design, design modifications for trucks, education of drivers, cyclists and road managers, enforcement aimed at behavioural change, as well as logistics customers requiring the use of safer trucks. Road management approaches with integrated safety benefits include designating routes and times for the movement of freight vehicles to avoid cyclists and requiring the trucks used in urban areas to have better visibility (e.g. lower driver position). This paper discusses several measures for improving the safety of cyclists including freight vehicle engineering and truck driver training programs as well as environmental management and land use changes.