I am a little confused by Vincent Chetcuti's letter (January 4) regarding cycle lanes and cyclists causing a danger to everyone including themselves. May I, out of all politeness as a cyclist, ask what exactly is his point?

First Mr Chetcuti states that bus lanes cause enough restrictions on traffic so there is no further room for cycle lanes. However part 3 of article 61 of the Highway Code implies that a bus lane can be used as a cycle lane if there is a cycle symbol. So in this case, we are just talking about a small matter of adding a symbol.

Okay so articles 57 and 58 imply that cycle lanes do exist or are on the cards and this may very slightly slow down traffic. However Mr Chetcuti doesn't seem to see the advantages. Every time Mr Chetcuti sees a cyclist, any two-wheeled road user for that matter, it would mean one car fewer in the queue in front of him, one more parking space he can use and less pollution in the air he breathes. It also means the cyclist is more active, fitter and healthier and being so may well be less of a burden on the health system and Mr Chetcuti's tax bill.

Given their small yet positive contribution to commuter traffic there are very valid reasons to encourage the propagation of both cycle lanes and cycle users. However, Mr Chetcuti continues on his tirade against cyclists basing his main argument on the lack of regulations to curb the misuse of the Sliema promenade. Does he mean the gangs of young marauding toddler bike gangs with vicious trainer wheels perhaps? Once again the Highway Code, part 3 article 60, states that cyclists should never use the pavement. So regulations do actually exist. This is perhaps rather unfair as, yes, the roads are too dangerous for such young and inexperienced cyclists. Shouldn't we ban cars? In fairness I know far more dangerous car drivers than I know dangerous cyclists. The point being that bicycles are not dangerous but vulnerable. I know we could compromise with, wait for it, a cycle lane.

But I digress. If Mr Chetcuti would like to witness first hand just how vulnerable a cyclist can be I would invite him to try to cycle around Marsa in the rush hour, obviously avoiding the bus lane, before he puts pen to paper again. I'd be pleased to offer to join him.

In the meantime please let's not have a knee jerk reaction to ban cyclists and if we need to regulate the use of areas, such as the Sliema promenade, let's do just that. If you regulate, you educate. Particularly, cycling is an excellent opportunity to educate tomorrow's road user.

I feel Mr Chetcuti's energies would be far better directed towards promoting better and more responsible car ownership, not just driving, and certainly not just a driving passion to ban bikes.