Too little awareness of bicycle culture among local councils - advocacy group

The Bicycle Advocacy Group (BAG) have lamented that local councils seemed totally unaware of problems facing cyclists, having no cycling policy or cycle training programmes for their communities.

A survey conducted among local councils by BAG only resulted in just ten (15%) of the 68 local councils in Malta responding to BAG’s survey questions to date.

Only Ghajnsielem in Gozo, and Mellieha had the best survey responses, obtaining an 'average bicycle friendly' status. Ghajnsielem was the only council who had a staff member who cycled, which according to BAG may be the reason why more awareness was present regarding cycling issues.

The remaining 80% of the local councils sampled fell below average and under BAG’s “quite modest expectations, let alone European best practice", BAG spokesperson James Wightman said.

BAG said they were keen to see bicycle usage increase in order to partially tackle quite severe traffic congestion in Malta.

Wightman said cycling was a small aid that helped ease traffic densities. While hoping that the new public transport reform succeeds, “the humble bicycle can make a difference right now for very little cost, certainly when compared to the millions invested in Arriva," Wightman said.

Data gathered from the survey conducted by BAG showed that 80% of local councils who responded admitted that parking problems and traffic congestion were experienced.

None of the respondents admitted to giving priority to bicycle friendly initiatives or discussing such initiatives during local council meetings. “None of the local councils who responded had carried out any research into the bicycle accident hot spots or problem areas. Only 30% of them said that hills were a problem, compared to 46% of BAG members," BAG said.

Regarding infrastructure, the BAG survey showed that only one local council said there was any form of cycle lane in the locality and while 40% of local councils had cycle racks, these had an average capacity of just four bicycles per locality.

Referring to unfriendly bicycle infrastructure, 20% of the responding local councils admitted that one way systems were a potential problem. BAG members said that bicycle unfriendly gratings were also a problem.

None of the participating local councils had adopted a cycling policy, signed any external charters or have any cycle training programmes in placed for their localities.

“Clearly local councils have a long way to go, to obtain the BAG's excellent bicycle friendly certification, but BAG (Malta) is committed to helping cycling commuters to ease the country's congestion problems,” BAG said.