No commitment to upgrade cycle lanes
The authorities were uncommital on whether they will overhaul bicycle lanes even though existing ones have come in for a barrage of criticism from keen cyclists following a tragedy on the roads last week.
Asked specifically whether there were any plans to establish more adequate cycle lanes, which would be clearly demarcated from roads by something more than a painted line and which would not stop abruptly, a Transport Ministry spokesman did not give a precise answer.
"Certainly one can consider walling up the separation between bicycles and cars but there are inevitable physical constraints on our roads. Cyclists are aware of this," she said.
She also defended the fact that bicycle lanes were separated from the road by a painted white line, saying similar lines were used to separate lanes for cars driving in opposite directions.
Following the tragedy last week, in which cyclist Cliff Micallef died after being hit by a car on the Coast Road, The Times received several letters to the editor about the hazards of badly designed and maintained cycle lanes.
On Wednesday, George Debono, the author of a report on energy conservation who regularly uses his bicycle as a means of transport, said badly designed lanes were more dangerous than none at all.
He said it was not enough to have a pail of paint and use it to create lanes, adding many lanes around the island were not maintained and were full of shards of glass and other rubble.
Anthony Taliana, 21, from Ħamrun, who was allegedly driving while drunk, has been charged in court with the manslaughter of Mr Micallef.
The ministry spokesman went to lengths to point out no bicycle lane design anywhere in the world could have prevented last week's tragedy. She said motorists had to be responsible and everyone was aware that driving while under the influence was dangerous.
"If everyone followed directions we would have no accidents on our roads, ever. That would be ideal, but it is an ideal we have not yet reached," she said.
She said while lanes went some way to keep cyclists safe, they were not enough to ensure their safety, and motorists' responsibility was crucial since irresponsible driving would harm them whether on or off cycling lanes.
Dr Debono, a retired clinical researcher, had also called for an urgent change in mentality among motorists, who he says disrespect cyclists.
"This does not suggest we have the finest cycle lanes in the world," the spokesman said, adding such lanes were introduced around four years ago in an effort to equip wider roads with dedicated cycling lanes and Mr Micallef had actually been one of the people who advised them on the design.
"There is dangerous overtaking on our roads, drink-driving and cars often brazenly break the law by driving over unbroken white lines, either by driving into another lane or a bicycle lane," the ministry spokesman said. It is illegal to drive over a white line into a bike lane.
The spokesman said bicycle lanes were introduced as one of a number of initiatives to improve road safety, including speed cameras and narrowing of roads, which were not popular. She added more could be done to improve safety and "much will continue to be done".
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Jimmy Magro
Aug 8th 2009, 17:56
In summary and in a few words, nothwithstanding the millions of liri and euros spent on our road infrastructure, our roads have remained that of a third world country.
The country lacks a strong organisation and there is too much political leadership instead of having a strong technical and professional leadership.
The fact that the ADT has reamined so weak as an organisation, changing Chairpersons and CEO over short periods of time, indicates that our roads will remain without a vision for many years to come. The proposed solution to give the roads to a foreign company is short sighted since the work will still be done by Maltese contractors.
There is lack in using information technology and GIS to make our roads better, safer and first class.
One of the main issues is the quality of local gravel which is not up to standard and if we want to have real solid roads we must to import strong gravel such as basalt in order to lay our roads. We cannot build our roads without making a strong bed underneath; or build roads or quasi soil/clay material.
N Borg
Aug 8th 2009, 17:37
It seems that only speed cameras are the easy way to make easy money for whoever gets commision from the fines.
Therefore, those responsible are not interested in anything except issuing tickets and parking fines.
Roadside alcohol spot checks should be the routine, especially in roads close to parties.
Let us see this exercise be carried out in the next week when the Santa Marija parties will be intoxicating the air with alcohol, and then I might believe that the authority is really tring to do something about it. Otherwise, I would stick to my belief that all the rubbish that we are getting with speed cameras and parking tickets is just for the sake of money.
L Bonnici
Aug 8th 2009, 15:18
1st point - we DON'T have the finest cycling lanes in the world!
2nd point - many roads, like the Mgarr and Hal Far by-passes have wide pavement, which I've never seen full!
3rd point - ADT cannot be blamed for the accident ... BUT ... the authorities have the obligation to see that roads are fit for ALL their users...
4th point - police checks are nowhere to be seen, they're the ones who should ensure safety on our roads. I've never seen a roadblock anywhere near paceville ... or any major place of entertainment.
5th point - MAltese drivers have to change their mentality ... cyclists may use their bikes for a number of reasons, and can never be 100% protected (not even when they wear a helmet, use reflective clothing, have lights, etc). Why is it that some drivers feel proud to scare a person riding a bike or feel obliged to offend someone them?
Fifth point is the most important - it more important than the sum of first 4!!
Ludwig Flask
Aug 8th 2009, 14:57
Recently built roads, which cost a lot of funding were badly designed. Whom to blame? Whom has proposed the plans? Whom has given the approval to build? NOT a CYCLIST for sure!
Just for curiosity in Qatar, cycle lanes are planned to be airconditioned!
Albert Bezzina
Aug 8th 2009, 12:47
Part 3
So, if it is technically not possible to provide adequate cycling facilities which offer a decent level of protection to cyclists, it should be very feasible to change the law to give law enforcement officers the right to extract evidence of drink driving or illicit substance abuse even when there is no reasonable doubt of the use of such substances. The right of citizens to drink alcohol and to get away with the use of drugs by consuming them out of view should be lost the moment a person sits behind a wheel of a vehicle in motion. Effective deterrent by wide spread spot checks for driving under the influence at roads leading away from known places of entertainment would eventually reduce alcohol consumption and sales. I would easily estimate a reduction of 30% of sales caused by effective enforcement. This is a large loss both for the leisure industry and for Government revenue. Is this only circumstantial evidence that ineffective enforcement is shackled by the interests of others?
Upgrading cycle lanes will not improve cyclists safety. Change in the law and effective enforcement will. Let Cliff's legacy extend beyond 'Lifecycle' to include effective changes in the Law.
Albert Bezzina
Aug 8th 2009, 12:38
Part 2
Speed cameras and little green man issuing tickets for trivial traffic infringements between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm are not proving effective in spite of the furor in the first quarter of this year when no deaths on the road were noted during the speed camera installation bordello.
Ignoring for a while the recent tragedy, there is only a pathetic attempt by all involved to control and punish driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal mind altering substances (alcohol is a mind altering substance but is legally paddled all over the place with great rewards to many including government revenue). It is said that the law is an ass and there is no better example of this when one reviews the difficulty faced by the occasional road side control to prove that a driver has been drinking. The driver has a right to refuse any blood alcohol measurement as long as that driver pays a hefty fine. Little more than a government sponsored bribing scheme to set free a drunken driver! There are today electronic hand held devices which can also detect traces of illicit drugs from saliva.
Albert Bezzina
Aug 8th 2009, 12:34
Part 1
The ADT and their superiors do not want to admit that introducing bicycle lanes was a cheap propaganda exercise worth the price of several liters of paint and maybe a hundred man-hours, All for less than a thousand euros. It was an after-thought even in newly built roads where at least the lanes where placed on the raised pavements but lead from nowhere to nowhere. Hardly a means of alternative transport! There is also total disregard for the condition and upkeep of the cycle lanes with road signs, overgrown weeds and trees impinging on the cycle ways as well as dust, gravel, glass and other debris that tends to accumulate at the road side. In my view however, the biggest short-sightedness of the authorities has been in not even considering as a risk factor to cyclists (and other road users) the legendary indiscipline of the Maltese which translates into a sizable number of persons who should not be trusted behind the wheel of a road vehicle. Unable to realize the consequences of that extra drink, snort of cocaine or outright fatigue and somnolence, such drivers are nothing more than a loaded gun ready to perpetrate a tragedy.
adrian aquilina
Aug 8th 2009, 11:14
the reason terrible things like this happen is because most people cant drive,drink,are selfish. i have never seen anyone drive the wrong way in a one way street in any other country,turning right when it says no right turn...there is no enforcement,no police on the roads,wardens are useless,no commitment from government bto educate and control driving.at every accident people should be breathalised...points system,license taken away..i hope that it is bad driver who gets hurt but it is always the innocent...sort it out gatt
Adrian Cardona
Aug 8th 2009, 10:47
No cyclist ever suggested building walls along bicycle lanes as far as I know. But there is a lot the Transport Ministry can do to make them safer, the most basic being:
1. Keep them clean and free from potholes, manholes and other major obstructions
2. Narrow those madly-designed super-wide pavements no one ever uses (vide the Mgarr road) and increase the width of cycling lanes
3. Keep some sort of logic in the flow of cycling lanes...as it is now, many of them stop suddenly without warning, forcing cyclists into the traffic flow.
4. Start a serious campaign to make motorists and cyclists more aware of how to interact with each other.
Please choose the reason of your report below: