On Sunday morning we paid our respects to a fellow cyclist who lost his life due to, more than anything, lack of respect.

Lack of respect from the government, the planning authorities and Transport Malta, which put cars and traffic flow above human life. While the rest of Europe is moving towards alternative transport – cycling, pedestrian-friendly roads and efficient public transport – we are obsessed with widening roads, adding lanes and building bypasses. Over time, this just leads to more traffic, congested roads and frustrated drivers, which, in turn, leads to more danger.

I will not bother mentioning the environmental implications because by now it is clearly of no concern to the powers-that-be. The other lack of respect comes from certain drivers.

All that is needed to save a life sometimes is a tiny bit of patience, a bit of consideration, just enough respect to wait those few extra seconds to ensure that a fellow human, a fellow father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister can get where they are going in one piece.

Is it so much to ask?

The argument that Maltese roads are too dangerous for cyclists does not hold weight. The roads are dangerous by design and only dangerous if drivers make them so. These can both be challenged.

A cyclist is not an inconvenience. A cyclist is a person, trying to get from A to B just like everyone else. Let’s show some respect.

RIP Zoran Pavlocic and condolences to those he left behind.