A charity that promotes everyday walking has called for tightened restrictions around the use of heavy goods vehicles in busy pedestrian areas, warning that preventative measures could help prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries on Scotland’s streets. Living Streets Scotland said it was “crucial” that further action was taken to protect pedestrians, stressing the move would not only benefit those walking, but businesses too. The charity wants to see a range of safety measures adopted by local authorities, such as the requirement for lorries to use cameras and warning systems in “high-risk” areas such as busy high streets.
The charity also says traders should be encouraged to consolidate their waste contracts in city centres so as to reduce the number of pick-ups by council refuse teams. The proposals coincide with the tenth anniversary of the Glasgow bin lorry tragedy , which claimed the lives of six people and left 15 others injured. The tragedy occurred after driver Harry Clarke collapsed at the wheel of a Glasgow City Council bin truck, causing it to mount a pavement in Queen Street at a time when the city centre was busy with Christmas shoppers.
In the space of less than 20 seconds, the vehicle careered onwards, accelerating to speeds of more than 26 miles per hour, before coming to a rest against the Millennium Hotel building in Glasgow’s George Square. Inside the cabin, Mr Clarke’s colleague, Matthew Telford, shouted: ‘You're killing people, Harry.” T.