A cyclists’ audit has found several shortcomings in the infrastructure of Aviation Avenue and Ħal Far roads, where a rider died in 2006.
The audit comes after a drunk driver, convicted of the manslaughter of Fadla-Lah Mohammed Ahmed Moh Bahkret, was handed a suspended sentence.
Concerned about the “faulty” road infrastructure that cyclists were expected to use on the road in question, the Bicycling Advocacy Group last month called on the authorities to appeal the sentence.
It then decided to perform what is known as a cycling level of service audit of the infrastructure – or lack of – on Aviation and Ħal Far roads.
READ: Cyclists want authorities to appeal drunk driver's suspended sentence
“The audit finds many shortcomings in the available infrastructure. It is clear that this route was never ridden by those who designed it. Had this been the case, it would not have left so much to be desired,” BAG president, Saviour Agius said.
The scope of the audit, the results of which were published in a 40-page report, is to quantify the level of comfort, safety and efficiency of the cycling infrastructure from Luqa to Ħal Far.
It is clear that this route was never ridden by those who designed it
According to the report, the infrastructure in place failed to provide an overall impression of safety. Cyclists were expected to be solely responsible for their own safety and novice riders could not feel safe or be encouraged to use such infrastructures, BAG commented.
Referring to the tragic incident, the report notes that “the magistrate erroneously expected Mr Bahkret to make use of infrastructure that was going against his travel direction, that could not have been reached and that denied him entry by dual no-entry signs.
“The court’s decision, we would respectfully suggest, was at best naïve but also very much misinformed,” it says.
Commenting about the shared footpath, which from Lyster Barracks leads to Ħal Far Road, the report notes among others that, despite a reasonable tarmacked surface, the footpath is clearly marked one way towards Luqa.
Roadside lighting favours the carriageway. There appears to be no lighting over the shared path, with none at all at the end of the runway. It is not clear if the level of lighting is acceptable, the report adds.
“The end of the shared path is clearly marked at the end of Ħal Far Road but its road surface is in poor state. On one of the audit visits it was blocked by aircraft spotters’ cars.”
In the case of Aviation Avenue, (from the Luqa roundabout to the airport roundabout), the report refers to the infrastructure as “segregated”, with ambiguous entry and exit points shared with pedestrians.
It also points out that signage is incorrect and often misplaced, facing the wrong way and indicating that a shared space segregated by a line is applicable although no such line exists.