Transport for London says two systems, CycleEye and Cycle Safety Shield, will each be fitted to one bus on route 25 and one on route 73 for a six week period and their effectiveness in reducing collisions measured.
TfL’s Ben Plowden says if the trial is successful the organisation will work with bus operators and manufacturers to agree the best way to roll-out the technology across the network.
This could include encouraging manufacturers to fit sensors on all new vehicles or a programme to retrofit them on existing buses.
Transport for London is under increasing pressure, including from London Assembly members and the Mayor, to cut the number of deaths and serious injuries (KSIs) on the capital’s streets.
Last year there were 69 KSIs involving collisions between pedestrians and buses or coaches and 15 involving cyclists, buses or coaches. TfL says the number of such incidents is falling and insists it’s committed to delivering further reductions.
Isabel Dedring, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “We’ve seen real improvements in reducing the number of accidents on our streets involving buses and if this trial proves successful we’ll look to roll it out further across London’s fleet.”
