Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/927417
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY 2018 News 7 "E-bikes provide more bal- ance in traffic, which is better for the cyclist and for drivers," he said, referring to an electric bike user's ability to keep up with other vehicles, especially uphill. "Most people who try an e- bike once will go on to buy one, especially once they need to go uphill," Wightman said, adding that a cyclist can ride an e-bike to work in a tie and jacket and not break a sweat. "It's like taking a gentle walk, and avoiding traffic and park- ing issues." Lack of infrastructure and planning which fails to con- sider cyclists is another factor. "While there are a number of charging ports for cars, there are none for pedelecs, and I don't think there has been enough effort to install bike racks in the right place," he said, adding that he estimates that bicycles outnumber elec- tric cars 35:1, and yet there has been more effort to accommo- date electric cars than bicycles. But not all hope is lost. There has been a slight in- crease in the sale of e-bikes in recent months following the 2018 Budget announcements, Wightman said. According to the budget, the benefits for the purchasing of pedelecs will in- clude a €400 cash benefit and a 7.5% VAT rebate. In fact, a representative for The Cyclist, a prominent local bicycle dealer, told this news- paper that the sales of e-bikes are on the increase. "Nowa- days, we sell a few every week." The government does have the right idea when it comes to incentivising the use of en- vironment-friendly forms of transport, Wightman said. "I think that [the government] is aware that what it invests in [such schemes], it will save in healthcare expenses down the line." The grant is a step in the right direction since pedelecs are pricey, oftentimes comparable to the price of a motorbike. "That said, the prices of bicy- cles are going up as well. But I think [electric bikes] they are a 'deal', as they solve a number of problems." Echoing a similar sentiment, a young entrepreneur who is currently looking into fa- cilitating the use of e-bikes in Malta told this newspaper that although the price of an e-bike is often more than double that of a normal bicycle, one would usually get more than double the use out of it. "Most people in Malta can- not, for obvious reasons, use their bicycle every day, all year round, wherever they go," he said, referring to the numerous issues that cyclists face locally. "People find it too difficult to ride their bicycle through most of the roads, especially uphill, and they don't want to go to work sweating. They might as well use their car." However, he said, an e-bike eliminates most of these issues. "E-bikes could also be more safe than a nor- mal bicycle, since you would be able to keep up with and be- come part of the traffic." There are many benefits to riding a pedelec, he said, as although they are far easier to ride than a normal bicycle, pedalling one still requires a certain degree of exercise. But in many ways, e-bikes replace cars and motorbikes, without the use of combustion engines and fuel. A young e-bike user and Uni- versity student who preferred to stay anonymous told us that she bought an e-bike for com- muting purposes. "An e-bike is more than adequate for our conditions," she said, referring to the numerous hills that she encounters on the way and the warm climate of the island. Budget schemes The schemes announced in the 2018 Budget will be pub- licised shortly by Transport Malta, following the publica- tion of a legal notice, and such schemes will be open for pri- vate individuals, NGOs, Lo- cal Councils and commercial companies, a spokesperson for Transport Malta told MaltaTo- day. "Transport Malta and the Ministry for Transport Infra- structure and Capital Projects are currently drafting a set of procedures and simplified regulations for bike sharing services, infrastructure and permits. There is increasing interest from various compa- nies to provide bicycle and pe- delec sharing services." Local initiatives to raise awareness and facilitate e- bike use have been on the in- crease, with the most recent being a Facebook page; E- Bikes Malta, set up to collect and provide information on the topic. The page encour- ages cyclists to contribute to the project by filling out a questionnaire. Registration rules spurred 90% in sale of e-bikes