A new cycle ‘superhighway’ linking east and west London is being considered by the capital’s transport chiefs.

The new route would stretch from Bow to Westminster via the City and would come in addition to the routes already proposed by Transport for London.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has also written to the Department for Transport asking that it speed up a process that will relax regulations to allow changes to be made to the capital’s traffic system.

In the letter to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, he said he had tasked TfL to review the design of key junctions in the capital to cut the chance of collisions between cyclists and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Mr Johnson wrote: “TfL believes that it will be necessary to use more innovative techniques on the capital’s roads to help improve conditions for vulnerable road users.

“However, my understanding is that TfL is severely constrained by the current Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 in trialling such techniques on streets and that such trials cannot be granted even with special dispensation from yourself but require a change in regulations.

“The lengthy time required to amend regulations to allow such trials is a real barrier to progress.”

Current cycle ‘superhighways’ are currently in place from Wandsworth to Westminster, from Merton to the City of London, from Barking to Tower Gateway and from Aldgate to Bow.

However, a string of fatal collisions involving cyclists at the Bow Roundabout last year turned the spotlight on the safety of riders using London’s cycle lanes.

Garrett Emmerson, chief operating officer for Surface Transport at TfL, added: “As part of his transport manifesto, The Mayor of London stated that he would investigate the potential for an East-West cycle superhighway.

We are currently looking at the feasibility of delivering such a route as part of the wider planning for delivery of the Mayor’s manifesto and in the context of the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to Barclays Cycle Superhighways across London.”