The Bicycling Advocacy Group, BAG (Malta), would like to clarify comments in recent blogs regarding the inclusion of a bus lane along the Strand. The local pressure group dedicated to promoting commuting by bicycle said that it’s members had voted for the inclusion of more bus lanes as one of its top electoral concerns in a recent poll. Riders noting that bus lanes help the service to be efficient, reduce car dependency which results in improved traffic flow for other motorists. The group pointed out that although bus lanes also offer cyclists some protection, they should be used with care as they are still a shared lane.

The group noted that while in fairness it is difficult to see how a dedicated cycle lane could safely co-exist with other traffic on the Strand opposite the bus lane, that ‘sharrows’ may be more appropriate. ‘We understand it’s a big headache for road planners, but situations like this and particularly gaps in protection at key and large junctions or one sided solutions like the Strand or Marsa can deter some who would otherwise feel encouraged to commute by bike reducing traffic congestion. Using creative solutions like sharrows could be an intelligent answer’.