Gżira's is not the only misplaced grate

I was sorry to hear that a cyclist got seriously injured when her bicycle's tyres got stuck in the slots of a drain gate in Gżira. Unfortunately, this is not the only place where drain grates were placed the wrong way round, posing a serious hazard to cyclists.

Cycling has become a very popular sport in the Maltese islands, not only for adults but also for children and adolescents. Unfortunately, a lot still has to be done to make roads safer not only for motorists but also for cyclists and pedestrians. In this context I would like to appeal to Transport Malta to check on the drain grates in at least the main roads to prevent similar accidents.

One place in mind is the road leading from Burmarrad to Mosta.

Ironically, over there, most grates along the cycling lane were placed the wrong way round leaving a cyclist with the choice of either risking injury by getting one's tyre stuck in the grate or by suddenly having to swerve into the main road. To add insult to injury, in the narrowest part of the hill, where a truck or bus can hardly overtake a cyclist, there are two misplaced grates making it extremely dangerous for any cyclist to tackle the hill.

These problems can easily be remedied by turning the gates around and I hope that Transport Malta will tackle these issues in due course.