Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1153841
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 AUGUST 2019 INTERVIEW There's been a lot of talk about the Central Link Project recently, and some of it has been centred on (the lack of) cycling infrastructure. What sort of traffic system did the Bicycle Advocacy Group hope to see, both in this project, and on Maltese roads in general? As an NGO, we are opposed to the Central Link project in principle, even if it included a bicycle infrastructure network. Because if you have to cycle through Attard to go to Rabat, Zebbug or Mriehel, or wherev- er… it doesn't make sense, if all the other places lack the infra- structure. Apart from that, this project also promotes and rein- forces our over-dependency on car-use. We have been lobbying about this for quite some time now. First of all, there is a lack of ideas and creativity from the authorities when it comes to mobility in Malta. Distances are very, very short. Every day in winter, I cycle from Zabbar to University. It's about 9.5km. It takes me around 30 minutes, from the time I leave home, to the time I tie up my bicycle on campus. And I cycle very slowly: I am not a sports cyclist; I'm not after speed. I enjoy my commute. But to do the same trip in 30 minutes by car is impossible, in this day and age. It used to take me one and a half, sometimes two hours. A half-hour commute, on the other hand, is nothing special. And most car trips in Malta, especially for work, tend to be within a 5km radius. So why are we not thinking about this, instead of trying to solve the problem only by widening the streets? Or discussing mass public transit systems? I am not at all technical, so I don't really know if it's feasible or not. But why do we even have to go for that, when, for many people, cycling could be a solution? It's not for everyone; we're not re- ally expecting all drivers to just ditch their cars. I have a car, too… and I use it, when I need to drop the children off, or car- ry a suitcase. It's not as though everyone can cycle, all the time. But there is a large section of the population that can do it… that would like to use a bicycle to go to work, run errands, or do the shopping… but most of them are afraid. Or they think it's not viable, because of the lack of infrastructure… What would having a cyclist- friendly infrastructure entail, exactly? Are bicycle lanes the only thing that's missing? No, not at all. We have con- sistently gone on record saying that we can't expect all Malta to have cycle lanes; because it's not even possible. But there are main thoroughfares – like bypasses, fly-overs, the Central Link – which need to have seg- regated cycle lanes. There is a huge discrepancy between the speed of a bike, and the speed of a car, so the likelihood of accidents and injuries is much higher on arterial roads. In those areas, the lanes need to be segregated. But in many other places, like village cores, the space can be shared by mo- torists, cyclists and pedestrians alike. This is the crux of the mat- ter: the way the authorities look at 'space', in Malta, is very irrational. They first cre- ate roads for the cars to pass. And then, as an afterthought, they say, 'We need something for cyclists'. So they take up more space for a cycle lane. In principle, however, we need to look at space more holistically. Public space, by definition, is owned by everyone. Everyone is entitled to space in Malta. So we need to split it up according to the best way to move people about, from one place to an- other. You don't have to take up more space for pedestrians or cyclists; the space is already there, to accommodate people who don't want to travel by car. Or who don't have a car… Precisely. Why should we be forced to buy a car in the first place? For instance, we have a number of members from other countries where there already is a bicycle culture. They would have a driver's licence; but they may have never driven a car be- fore, because they never needed to: they have good public trans- port at home, and a bicycle in- frastructure already in place. They come to Malta, with the idea of cycling; they realise they cannot do it, because of the lack of infrastructure; and they end up buying a car, like every- one else. [Pause] How stupid is that? Instead of seizing this op- portunity to bring new cultures of mobility to Malta, and trying to enrich the way we travel… we are forcing foreigners to travel the way we do: by car. This is very short-sighted, and very short-term. In five or 10 years' time there is going to be a gridlock... if there isn't one already. This is something we need to address as a matter of urgency; other- wise it will be crisis manage- ment. On the flipside, most people who drive, do so because they want to. Some even criticise cyclists (and environmentalists) for making 'excessive' demands on a road network they clearly believe is designed just for cars… Unfortunately, the authorities like to use that kind of excuse: it has been said on a number of platforms that '24 sq km would be taken up by cycle lanes', and therefore, more land is being taken up for cyclists. I think that's a very unfair comment, because, as I said previously, everybody is entitled to space. So it shouldn't be that we first think about cars, and then try and see where to fit everything else. It's like the Marsa project: there were six lanes for cars, and they told us 'we have to add another lane' for cyclists. What do you mean, we need another lane? Cyclists are road-users, too. You can't regard them as extra, separate entities. It is as though they like to create these 'minorities' – gay people, peo- ple with disability, sometimes foreigners, etc. – in order to allocate 'special services' for them; to bring about the argu- ment that the country is do- ing something 'extra' for those people. But it isn't the case. I really don't like the way it is be- ing argued that 'extra space' is being taken by cyclists. We are not 'extra'. We are part of the way people move about; and that's what transport means. Meanwhile, there are pedestri- ans to consider. On those occa- sions when I drive, I sometimes see people doing extraordinary things just to cross a street … like climbing the barriers on a busy flyover. Because there are no traffic lights, or pedestrian crossings; or else, they are ex- pected to walk 200 metres to the closest pedestrian crossing. Who's going to walk that dis- tance… twice? Just to cross a road? Even here [at University], on the ring-road, people have to walk side by side with cars, with no space designed for them. It is extremely dangerous. Another big project coming up is the one at Msida. They are going to remove the traf- fic lights and put up pedestrian Bicycle Advocacy Group president MICHELLE ATTARD TONNA argues that traffic authorities should stop looking at cyclists and pedestrians as 'extras' to be catered for separately. Everyone is entitled to public space, not just cars Cyclists are road users, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES BIANCHI Raphael Vassallo Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt