Please allow me to clarify some points regarding Keith Micallef’s article ‘Over speeding could lead to a €500 fine’ (TMID, 14 April, 2012). The Bicycle Advocacy Group (BAG) believes that the use of bicycles should not only be for recreational purposes but also as a daily and an alternative means of environmentally friendly transport. While BAG is keenly aware that cycling, like driving, may contain certain risks, however at this point in time there is no evidence which suggests that cyclists are more at risk when cycling on arterial roads than whilst cycling on residential ones. The Bicycle Advocacy Group would like to point out that in the absence of accident statistics for incidents involving bicycles, it is very difficult to accurately determine what risk factors actually affect Maltese cyclists or where such risk factor are most likely to occur.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any statistics by the NSO which contains data relating to cyclists. As a response, one of the first surveys undertaken by our organisation relating to cycling in Malta indicated that as many as 80% of the respondents felt that the police and warden services do not take their accidents seriously when reported. This is why at the seminar, one of BAG’s recommendations was that not only cyclists, but also police and warden services should ensure that all such incidents and accidents are reported. While mindful that in other EU countries 90% of bike-car accidents are not the cyclists’ fault, BAG started looking at ‘near miss incidents’ (i.e. reports from cyclists where an accident was narrowly avoided) as another way of identifying the risk factors facing cyclists and any resultant accident hot spots.
As a result of the data collected by BAG so far, when comparing arterial and other roads, BAG noted that there were less near miss events on arterial roads than expected, also suggesting that the use of inappropriate speed on other roads was as serious a problem and indeed a serious risk factor for all road users. In fact all risk factors considered, such as ‘dooring’ or side street incursions, routes including arterial roads appeared 20% safer for cyclists during peak traffic hours when traffic was actually moving much slower due to congestion.
As reported, it only takes one member of the BAG just 25 minutes to reach Gżira from Żurrieq, door-to-door, whereas the same journey by car takes an hour in the morning rush-hour. What was not identified at the seminar was that a similar journey by bus took one hour 15 minutes or the fact that BAG surveyed five other routes where the humble bicycle arrived at the same time, if not well before a car, managing 12.2KPH door-to-door while the latter averaging 9.4KPH in congested traffic. The bus dropping to 4.9KPH door-to-door. This can be even more marked on short local and bike-2-shop trips. Admittedly a confounding factor is that cyclists commuting by necessity, may have found their own door-to-door journey times by car or catching two buses unacceptable.
Other commuters may well find they are lucky enough to have a free flowing route or be well served by the new Arriva service. Having the option of using a bicycle, is just that, an option. But a growing number of cyclists can and do opt out of the morning rush congestion, with serious health and environment benefits, some of which can also help other motorists. The whole idea of BAG is to give people a choice and to encourage those who can, to leave the car at home. This way there is more free space on the roads and parking spaces for other road users as well.
■ Jim Wightman
PRO Bicycle Advocacy Group Malta