10% of trips by bicycle: Grech sets targets for 'better, safer mobility'

A Nationalist government will seek to create a future where 10 per cent of all trips in the country are made by bicycle, Bernard Grech said Sunday.

Speaking at a party event on transport, the PN leader said this was just part of a much broader vision that people longed for in the mobility sector, and it could only be achieved if the infrastructure got massive upgrades.

"Our aim is to have 10 per cent of all trips done by bicycle," he said.

"But to achieve that we must invest in proper and safe infrastructure."

He said that instead of investing in the infrastructure, the Labour government was managing by crisis, merely "scratching the surface" of mobility problems by introducing measures that did very little to solve the problem in the long term.

"The country has a government that's simply a crisis manager, but what it needs is a government that is a leader with a vision."

Ingram Bondin spoke on behalf of the Ramblers' Association. Photo: PN

'Infrastructure not safe'

The event was held in Birkirkara, at a garden which was a train station until 1931. It came just a few days after the Transport Minister announced a raft of measures aimed at tackling Malta's chronic traffic congestion.

Among them, two measures that will offer drivers €25,000 to give up their licence for five years and €6,000 to those who want to ditch their cars for a motorbike or electric scooter.

Grech said those measures would hardly solve the problem when the roads were still not fit to make bike trips safe.

"It's good to incentivise people to use the motobike, but before that we must make sure our roads are safe. We know what needs to be done and we will do it because we have the country and its people at heart," he said.

Biker Fiona Cauchi said she would like more people to travel on two wheels but understands it is dangerous. Photo: PN

Incentives were not enough if not coupled with safer roads and proper law enforcement, he insisted.

The event brought together people, associations and businesses from all walks of life - from bikers, ramblers, persons with disability and people who would like to commute to work by bus, on foot or by bicycle, to residents who are fed up of excessive bar and restaurant encroachment in their locality, classic car enthusiaists, white taxi and Y-plate cab drivers, business representatives and mayors and councillors who said they are facing hurdles when it comes to mobility and who complained that the government does not respect residents' wishies and needs when it comes to infrastructure projects.

One of the issues that dominated the discussion was enforcement, with Grech promising that a PN government would curb abuse and create a level playing field for all.

People from all walks of life discussed mobility issues with the PN leader. Photo: PN

Register cab platforms

One way of doing that was by registering cab platforms with Transport Malta, giving the authorities visibility on activity on those platforms, so that they may be able to enforce breaches of the law and stop drivers from working dangerously long hours, he said.

"Under a PN government these platforms and rides will be registered with the authority so that data is monitored real-time, allowing the authorities to understand the flow of work and how it can be improved and to give them the necessary tools to clamp down on abuse, money laundering and tax evasion," he said.

Żebbuġ mayor Steve Zammit Lupi urgued that taking the bicycle is faster for many trips. Photo: PN

"This is what will distinguish a new PN government - the political will to take the necessary decisions and implement them appropriately."

Transport shadow minister Mark Anthony Sammut said this event was part of a broader consultation exercise through which the party was preparing its manifesto for the next election.

Grech promised the PN would continue to consult but it would also be strong enough to take the necessary decisions, unlike the Labour government which, he said, rolled out measures without consultation only to then be forced to make U-turns, like it did with the measure to raise the threshold for classic cars earlier this week.

The PN had warned against that measure when it was first announced, he said, and that U-turn was a confirmation that the government operated without proper consultation.

Dr George Vital Zammit has been tasked with drafting the PN's election manifesto. Photo: PN

"We need change because we need vision. And ultimately, we need a vision for a better mass transportation system," Grech said.

"To us, your work and your family, and your physical and mental health has value, and that's why we want to invest in it, so that you get the quality of life you deserve."