Let’s explain the context first: Maltese roads. Statistics published by the EU Commissioner for Transport show that Malta has a better than average road safety and has one of the lowest road fatality rates in Europe.
The reality on the roads, however, is very different. Malta offers one of the worst driving experiences in the world. First, there is the state of the roads: no matter how many millions are spent on road maintenance, a lot of Maltese roads are not safe for driving, especially in the rain or summer heat.
Then there is the lack – or rather, almost total absence – of road etiquette. It seems that most drivers forget even the most basic principles of the Highway Code as soon as they get their driving licence. Drivers stop abruptly in the middle of the road, drive while making and taking calls, blast their horn for no reason whatsoever, insist on driving slowly in the fast lane, don’t indicate when turning, and step on the gas pedal at stop signs.
Then there is the road rage and the bullying. Last week, a series of photos and a video were posted online, showing separate road rage incidents. In the photos, two men appear to have come to blows next to traffic lights in St Julian’s. In the video, caught on a dash cam, a man fails to give way at a roundabout, ignores the stop sign, and just throws himself in the path of the oncoming cars. Then he takes offence when a passenger in one of the oncoming cars protests. So he gets out of the car and makes a scene.
There are few places where such bullies can get away with their behaviour. Malta is one of them. And it all boils down to one main factor: a lack of police presence on the road. If the police made their presence felt on the road, then such incidents wouldn’t happen and drivers would be obliged to drive more carefully and show respect to other road users.
All the hours lost to traffic are translated into a business cost
So that is the context. Now add to that the alarming rate at which Malta’s car population is growing. Statistics show that there are currently more than 330,000 licensed vehicles on the road: that is almost 60,000 more than were licensed a decade ago. In the first quarter of this year, car registrations increased by 1,687.
Apart from the effects that this context has on our quality of life, dangerous driving and heavy traffic also slow down the economy. All the hours lost to traffic are translated into a business cost and productivity loss.
One important element in business is efficient and on time deliveries. However, deliveries are frequently delayed by traffic. So could bicycle couriers be a solution for more efficient deliveries?
In his recently published book Journeys of a London Bicycle Courier (Notting Hill Editions, 2015), bicycle courier Jon Day narrates the joys of cycling for a living.
“I loved the exhilaration of pedalling quickly through the city, flowing between stationary cars and weaving through the lines of moving traffic,” he writes.
However, Day also writes about the dangers of cycling through the city. There is also the sheer physical exhaustion. “The work is grindingly hard. On an average day you’ll cycle 60 to 100 miles,” he writes.
The only thing is that Day worked as a bicycle courier in London, where traffic rules are largely upheld and driving offences are punished. Now imagine a bicycle courier trying to deliver a package in Malta. First of all, the old roads don’t cater for cyclists – they are either too narrow or don’t cater for bicycle lanes.
Moreover, most local drivers still haven’t got used to the presence of cyclists on our roads. Cyclists are seen as a nuisance and are given the same treatment as bikers – the spate of accidents involving bikers in the past few weeks are indicative of the way we treat those who choose two wheels as their transport of choice. True, driving in Malta can be dangerous to car drivers – but motorcyclists and cyclists are more vulnerable.
So, could bicycle couriers cut down on delivery times and increase business productivity? Yes, but not until Maltese roads become safer.