The Transport Select Committee has extended the deadline for submissions to its ‘Cycling Safety’ inquiry until Friday 17 January 2014.

The inquiry is looking into a range of moves to make cycling safer in town centres including banning heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from entering city centres at peak hours.

Retailers claim that such a move would be “detrimental to stores,” with “no perceived benefit”.

“The challenge for convenience stores is that they don’t have large back-up storage and therefore the timing of the eliveries is critical to maximise sales and product availability - especially to meet the early morning trade,” Nisa distribution director Jonathan Stowe told C-Store.

Banning HGVs from roads during rush hour would create chaos for stores in city centres and do nothing to improve cycle safety, the Freight Transport Association added.

Other ideas include better training for drivers and better enforcement of the law applying to drivers and cyclists.

Views can be sent to the Comittee via Twitter @CommonsTrans using #cyclesafe and via the Transport Select Committee website.