Mario Micallef is recovering from several injuries he sustained when a bus hit his bike in Qrendi. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Cyclists will next week ride to Parliament carrying a petition calling for safer roads, after two fellow riders were recently seriously injured in accidents.

One of them, Mario Micallef, is so shaken he will not risk riding a bike again. The father of two is in hospital recovering from a broken ankle, pelvis, clavicle and teeth, after he was hit by a bus in Qrendi last Monday and thrown off his bicycle.

This and other accidents involving both riders and pedestrians have prompted several cycling organisations to plan a campaign for safer roads for everyone.

They are circulating a petition, called Escalate Road Safety measures in Malta, which will be delivered to ministers in a symbolic ride to Parliament next week, probably on May 20.

“Every night, we hear of dead motor­cyclists, run-over cyclists and injured pedestrians. Some measures have already been taken but we believe that a lot more can be done,” the petition says.

Speaking to this newspaper from his hospital bed, Mr Micallef urged patience and prudence by all road users.

“I could have died and I feel the incident has chopped off part of my life – my hobby. I’m not going to take that risk again,” he said.

Mr Micallef, 44, has been cycling for more than 30 years and used the bike regularly, sometimes to commute to work.

“I want to help raise awareness about the consequences so other people, especially those who have a family to look after, do not end up this way,” he said, pointing at his leg.

I could have died and the incident has chopped off part of my life

“People using the roads need more patience and have to be more attentive. If a driver wants to overtake a cyclist, they should slow down when they approach the rider and keep a distance of 1.5 metres when going around them.

“Cyclists also need to put on the lights at night and wear safety gear, especially the helmet, which is what saved me in this incident.”

Mr Micallef noted that just as signage was put up to warn drivers to look out for hedgehogs, similar ones could be put up reminding road users that they are sharing the street with cyclists.

Mr Micallef’s accident, just days after a 35-year-old was badly injured when he was hit by a car while cycling on Ħal Far Road in Birżebbuġa, was the latest to shake the cycling community.

Jason Debono, one of the cyclists who attended a meeting of the organisations, said the cycling community would not stop at the petition and would push for greater awareness from the authorities.

Reiterating a call that cyclists have been making for years, Mr Debono said: “Cyclists should be involved in discussions over the design of new roads. The road leading to Mġarr from Mosta, for example, has a cycling lane on just one side of the road.

“The lane is on the pavement, meaning cyclists have to share it with pedestrians, who do not always walk in a straight line,” he added. He said cycling did not just reduce traffic but also the burden on the health sector because of healthier citizens.

Updates about the petition and the symbolic ride are on the Facebook Page icycling Advocacy Group (Malta).