Malta Needs A Cycling Commissioner Who Uses The Bike To Get Around, Rota NGO Proposes
Cycling NGO Rota has presented its suggestions on which infrastructural changes Malta still needs to adopt in order to make cycling safe and practical for users.
Lovin Malta spoke to the cycling NGO Rota to gather feedback on what can be improved in the best interest of cyclists in Malta.
Particularly, they have called for the appointment of a cycling commissioner who actually uses the bike to get around on a daily basis.
“Malta is in dire need of a commissioner for cycling to ensure that any cycling infrastructure is up to standard,” Rota told Lovin Malta.
The organisation said it often finds itself in “discussions with decision-makers that have no knowledge or interest in cycling, and are thus unaware of the true requirements for cyclists, leading to substandard and unsafe design”.
“People designing bicycle infrastructure and taking decisions on behalf of cyclists should have experience in cycling themselves. If not, consultations with experts on the topic should be sought out,” they said.
They lamented a lack of proper knowledge on the topic, noting how poor bicycle infrastructure can actually do more harm than good in the long run.
“People who don’t use a bicycle might see these and easily think that it’s a step in the right direction, however, for people who make use of a bicycle, it’s actually a step in the opposite direction,” Rota said.
Rota also offered examples of what dangerous bicycle infrastructure could look like, so it could be avoided in future plans.
“Examples of dangerous bicycle infrastructure include the green road markings at Tal-Balal roundabout. Making use of these lanes is actually more dangerous for the person on a bicycle than not using them at all,” they said.
Rota offered suggestions of what safe and practical infrastructure could look like in Malta, with proposals such as; traffic calming measures, speed limits, and strict enforcement, segregated bicycle lanes and Inverted U Rack (Sheffield Type) bicycle racks in all localities.
The organisation also commended efforts recently taken and described them as “a step in the right direction which gives us hope that the bicycle experience in Malta can improve.”
Earlier last week, Rota announced that crash barriers were finally installed along the bicycle lane in the busiest road in Marsa.
This came following discussions with Infrastructure Malta.
The decision was welcomed and praised by many on social media – and Rota hopes that this approach will also be adopted for other roads in Malta.
“As soon as we announced the installation of the barriers, many people contacted us to propose the same for the coast road bicycle lane, which is another high-speed road with an unsegregated bicycle lane,” Rota told Lovin Malta.
Rota is an environmental NGO (eNGO), advocating for safe bicycle use in Malta and representing all those who cycle in Malta. They constantly liaise with the relevant authorities to promote the bicycle as a viable mode of transport.
Their top priority is ensuring safety in Maltese roads, to in turn encourage new cyclists to take up this mode of transportation.
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