The sunken manhole in Triq il-Kbira, Birkirkara

A cyclist who lost teeth and suffered neck and facial injuries in Birkirkara has called on the authorities to shoulder responsibility for infrastructure in disrepair if they want to encourage more people to give up their cars.

“On one hand we are being told to opt for alternative means of transport in a bid to reduce traffic congestion, but on the other hand the authorities wash their hands of cycling incidents,” Clint Attard told Times of Malta.

Mr Attard, 33 years old, needed 22 stitches to his face and could not speak for a week after he was thrown off his bicycle in Triq il-Kbira last June.

On that day, he was commuting through Birkirkara when his front wheel got stuck around a manhole in the cobblestone street, which has sunken in the middle. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet to protect his head but suffered injuries to his nose, mouth, lips, chin and throat.

He went throuth dental treatment costing hundreds of euros and saved four of his front teeth, but only aesthetically, and he is not able to eat some foods. He requires a series of medical interventions to allow him to recover his teeth’s full function but cannot afford to cover the expense.

“I know that I will not be the same again. This is not like busting a tyre in a pothole – which can be replaced with a new one – but at least, I would like to try and fix the damage.

How many broken bones are required before a road can be classified unsafe?

“What hurts the most is that the authorities cover expenses incurred by motorists in such incidents, but not when it comes to cyclists.”

The incident totalled his bicycle, and since June, Mr Attard has drastically reduced his bike commutes. He said that when he filed the report at the locality’s police station, he was told other commuters had also complained about the state of the road.

Cyclist Clint Attard

He filed a judicial protest against Transport Malta and the Birkirkara local council to cover his expenses. However, the former said it was not responsible for the road or the manhole, while the latter said it was not responsible for the manhole

Times of Malta asked the local council if it planned to refurbish the road, but a spokesman said he would not comment in light of the judicial protest.

Last month, cycling advocates flagged their concerns about rainwater grates, which they said could be lethal if slotted in bicyclists’ direction of travel. 

One cyclist who ended up with more than 10 stitches to his face due to a Birkirkara accident  said he was always on the lookout for unsafe roads.

He suffered a broken nose, a deep laceration of the lower lip, a torn frenulum and extensive facial abrasions, aside from the material damage to his bike, helmet and glasses.

But the local council’s lawyer informed him that the road had been deemed safe. “That begs the question: how many broken bones are required before a road can be classified as unsafe?” the man insisted.