Transport for London (TfL) has signed a new contract with construction business management consultant SECBE to deliver the Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) scheme.

The new contract will begin from December 2021 and last for five years.

TfL said the new contract will allow the scheme to be taken nationwide through sponsorship from other UK city regions and construction logistic training schemes, to help improve safety throughout the construction supply chain.

The scheme aims to make to reduce collisions with construction traffic by promoting safe practice and delivering training.

Christina Calderato, director of transport strategy and policy at TfL, said: “We’re determined to meet our Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury from London’s roads and improving the safety of construction vehicles and industry practice on the capital’s roads is key to this.

“CLOCS plays a crucial role in providing safer, cleaner and greener streets for everyone by accelerating safety standards in the construction industry and ensuring the safest construction vehicle journeys from start to finish.”

Initially run as a scheme for construction fleets operating in London, it will be expanded nationwide.

As part of the new contract, funding will be entirely through sponsorship from other UK city regions and construction logistic training schemes and will no longer require TfL funding.

The new contract will also encourage greener and more sustainable construction trips, as well as keeping the core focus on safety, said TfL.

Developed in 2013 by TfL as a scheme focused on reducing collisions between vulnerable road users and construction traffic, TfL said CLOCS has been instrumental in improving safety throughout the construction supply chain.

Andy Brooke, programme director for CLOCS, said: “There is still much to do but we can now look forward with renewed vigour to help cities, councils and local authorities across the UK, deliver on their commitments to eliminate death and serious injury from their roads, and improve the safety of construction vehicles and industry practice.”

Participating construction companies are required to sign up to the CLOCS Code of Conduct and undertake safety training for their staff to receive accreditation.

A new version of the CLOCS Standard, which came into force in January 2019, includes a requirement for construction vehicles to report collision data through the supply chain to ensure that action plans can be put in place to prevent future collisions. 

Since its introduction, around 600 operators have gained formal training in improved construction practices, and major constructors have signed up to CLOCS.

The scheme has around 360 champions including regulators, planning authorities, developers, contractors and fleet operators.