If there is one good thing about the new cycle path alongside the Kappara bypass is its ability to galvanise cyclists over the delay in the national cycling strategy.

A bit of a joke among more road-savvy riders, the Bicycle Advocacy Group had originally suggested to Transport Malta that, due to the lack of cycle lanes in the Kappara scheme, residential roads might be made more bicycle friendly, creating a network of cyclable roads. A neat, cheap and pragmatic win-win for residents, Transport Malta and people on bikes.

Transport Malta’s reaction was to immediately summon BAG representatives to a “consultation” meeting where they were presented with a fait accompli: to accept an untarmacked one way-cycle path from the University to San Ġwann. Which is odd when you consider there are quicker, safer existing routes to San Ġwann, via the former Peter Calamatta university back gate and via the sports complex tunnel to Sliema and Gżira. The cyclists smelt a rat, a bum-rushed proposal, possibly to justify other environmentally-sensitive works. Basically ‘bikewash’ the BAG turned down.

In a bizarre twist, not only did it go ahead, the far-from-flat painted lane has grown a crop of mini-orcas, a sort of rumble strip on steroids. Rare on a road over 50k/h and far from spaced apart, the mini-orcas in this particular pod are closely packed together at an alarming angle. An angle that does not allow cyclists to join the path from the main road at 30 or 40k/h.

One would hope that a Transport Malta enforcement official will be on hand to warn car drivers that cyclists cannot get off the Regional Road, 24-7.

The poor application of orcas on a dubious cycle path is the clearest indicator yet of a need for a joined up national cycling strategy, now more than ever.