First of all I’d like to say that I totally agree with Mr Fenech’s letter (A motorcyclist in Malta, TMID, 20 April). The state of certain roads is only suitable for 4x4s, vehicles which unfortunately to us have a high registration and road tax.

Commuting by bike in Malta on paper makes a lot of sense. Short distances, loads of traffic in peak hours and pollution is quite high.

Riding a bike is beneficial for the driver – be it time or money you are trying to save – and the environment with all new bikes using low emission four-stroke engines, with some bikes also clocking more than 80mpg.

Unfortunately the roads and, even worse, the road markings are a hazard to us bikers. To add to this some people – and only some – tend to ignore an oncoming bike and seem to think that since a bike is much smaller than a car they can not give way and we can still squeeze through.

We can, we squeeze through stationary traffic, and squeeze in or create a parking slot. What we cannot do is squeeze through a parked and an oncoming vehicle at 50mph while cornering, slalom through all potholes and go fast when our fine roads are wet.

Thank God, we have our beloved local wardens to educate us. Most of us got a ticket some time or another which we really did not deserve. But that will help to educate us. We all make mistakes and we might go through a speed camera at 62kph when we should have been driving at 60kph – yes you can get a fine even at 62 – but that is to educate us.

In fact I was taught a lesson last week by a very well educated warden, in uniform driving a local wardens vehicle on the main road in Marsa.

I was driving along behind the car on my bike when suddenly I saw something flying out of the driver’s window. A flying object is extremely hard to avoid whatever you are driving and can always be a hazard. But it is worse if, like in this case, it was a lit cigarette stub.

I drove next to the driver’s window and showed my disapproval; after all he was breaking the law. He looked at me in a way as if he was puzzled that I would tell him off. At that moment I learned that he (The Warden) can, while all of us common mortals can not.

Marco Conti

Tarxien