It is one year since cyclist Clifford Micallef was tragically killed early in the morning while out cycling on the Coast Road. The driver ran him over and did not stop. He was charged in court and proceedings are pending, which is why we will not write about the actual event, so as not to interfere in the legal process.

But what we will discuss is the simple fact that nothing whatsoever has been done to ameliorate the situation for cyclists. The Coast Road cycle lane is just as ineffective in terms of safety as it was one year ago. Debris litters the gutter, cars slow down for the speed camera and as soon as they have passed it, motorists accelerate their cars once again.

When one looks at other countries, cycle lanes are rarely actually part of a main road. They tend to be recessed onto a wide pavement which is split into two lanes – one for pedestrians and one for cyclists. In that way, the cyclists are actually off the road, significantly reducing the risk of a collision between a vehicle and the bicycle.

Another way of doing it is having cycle lanes which are developed precisely for that purpose and that purpose alone. A small track is laid down, perhaps besides fields, or by a river bank (which of course cannot be done in Malta), but the concept is simple enough; cars and bicycles have to be kept separate.

Unfortunately, there are not even enough tracks for ramblers and nature walkers, let alone cyclists – and this is the mentality that has to change. In Malta, farmers and land owners (and hunters) repeatedly fence off areas with the famous ‘RTO’ slogan normally daubed in paint on a rubble wall. What is more shameful is that there is absolutely no recourse to see whether such land is actually private or not. On many occasions, it is simply a case of people just barring other people from accessing public land.

The authorities must challenge this mentality and one way of doing it would be to open up a cycling trail – perhaps along the west coast. While we understand that cyclists do need length in order to build up their stamina and practise their sport, the idea of having protected and well maintained cycles lanes on our roads is light years away.

We cannot even regulate road traffic, let alone fuse road vehicle carriageways with cycling carriageways as every other nation in Europe seems to do. The new traffic fines and penalties which are to be introduced will no doubt help in the long term, in the sense of trying to get motorists to be more respectful on the roads. But when we see children being run over on crossings, others killed in car smashes, cyclists being mown down, it really does not inspire optimism. In media circles, it has become the norm to keep a daily lookout for fatal accidents. It sounds like a morbid thought, and it is, especially when so many children are involved.

Malta really does need to do something about its road safety record. Every life which is lost is tragic, but lives which are lost, which could have been avoided are doubly tragic. All it takes is a bit more calm, more observance and prudent driving. We were only one of two countries in the EU where fatalities have increased as a percentage over the past 10 years. We must act now before it all becomes Mad Max territory… if it hasn’t already.