Educating motorists (1)

Saviour Sam Agius raised the question of cycling in tunnels (April 3). Readers may recall that this prohibition of cycling in tunnels was the result of a tragic fatal accident in a tunnel. Very few, if any, pedestrians use the short Kirkop-Gudja tunnel and if the pavements in this short tunnel were made compatible with cycling it would be a boon to commuters. However, I would certainly steer clear of riding in longer tunnels, if only because of the phenomenal pollution in them.

However, Mr Agius defined very precisely the pivotal issue by his choice of title: Educating Motorists How To Treat Cyclists.

Cycling in Malta, whether for pleasure or for commuting, remains very dangerous and making cycling safer must be the starting point of any plan to promote cycling. Part III of a Think Tank report (Towards A Low Carbon Society - the Nation's Health, Energy Security and Fossil Fuels, available on www.tppi.org.mt/cms/index.php/reports) deals extensively with the question of promoting bicycle use. The report emphasises the point that creating cycle paths, tracks or lanes is only a very small part of the solution because it is impossible, even in the best of conditions, to have a comprehensive cycle network.

It is therefore inevitable that bicycles must mingle with traffic. Therefore, though the approach must be holistic and cultural, the kingpin of popularising cycling must be to make cycling safer by altering motorists' behaviour - exactly as implied by Mr Agius by the title of his letter.

As pointed out in the Think Tank report (paras 667-685), the most essential and effective measure to make cycling safer is the introduction of an obligatory minimum distance which overtaking vehicles must observe when overtaking cyclists (677), as is the rule in other countries. Taking a tough stance against motorists who endanger or cause injury to cyclists is also essential.

Recommendations, as made over the years in various government reports and master plans, never materialised. These recommendations were so vague or downright amateurish that they would have been of little use, even if followed up.

On August 26 of last year, shortly after another cyclist lost his life, there was encouraging news in the press that a new transport regulator was to promote cycling and walking. A Transport Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying that "clearly, the transport regulator must lead the national culture change that has so far given less attention to cycling than it should have". But, again, nothing seems to be happening so that one can only conclude that there is simply no intention to alter attitudes to personal transport and that nothing is going to change.

It must also be stressed again that road transport is a key determinant of health. Apart from excess mortality due to pollution from road transport, overdependence on motor transport also results in an increase in obesity, which is itself the precursor of many diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, all of which shorten life in their own rights. Thus, a trend to healthy walking or cycling for short journeys will yield a double health bonus.

Unfortunately, cycling has a poor image in Malta unlike modern, technologically-advanced, affluent countries such as Holland, Denmark and Germany where cycling is a mainstream mode of transport and where bicycle use is distributed evenly across all income groups. The bad image of the bicycle and negative attitudes to cycling in Malta must be changed by making it safer through minor legislation as suggested above - and the induction of a culture change through education.