HGV safety scheme dropped

4.30 pm on a Friday afternoon, the perfect time to release (bury) bad news:

Transport for London (TfL) will no longer finance a £1m safety awareness scheme for HGVs and cyclists, London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced.

The Metropolitan Police's Commercial Vehicle Education Unit, which has run since 2005, will close in March 2010. Three police sergeants and nine constables are employed on the initiative.

"This is a huge backward step for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians in London. The Mayor is risking Londoners' lives in order to save a small amount of money. TfL can talk to haulage firms, but these officers have special legal powers either to persuade them to improve on safety, or make them," says Jenny Jones, a Green Party London Assembly member.