Bicycle Advocacy group Rota has proposed the introduction of government-funded insurance for bicycle users and narrow car lanes for the development of a stronger culture of cycling and sustainable mobility on the island. 

These are two of 17 proposals they outlined in a document - "A vision for sustainable mobility", which they made public on Monday, ahead of Budget 2024 which will be presented on October 30. 

Rota It said that the width of a car lane is directly proportional to the speed at which a motor vehicle travels.

“The wider a lane, the faster a motorised vehicle is likely to move... Rota recommends that lane width should directly reflect the speed limits put in place across all the road networks,” the document reads. 

The proposal goes on to say that such a measure will not only ensure greater safety for vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians but can also create more space for them. 

The NGO proposed legally protecting bicycle users and pedestrians and proposed insurance coverage for bicycle users. 

“While the organisation maintains the position that the acquisition of insurance should remain optional, a publicly funded option can lead to a significant uptake of insured bicycle users,” the document read. 

It said that insured bicycle users should be protected against bicycle theft, third-party damage and damage to the bicycle.

It also proposed to political parties to make it their target if they are elected to government in the next legislature to have at least 10% of all commutes to be by bicycle. 

Apart from increasing safety for cyclists by improving lighting, installing CCTV cameras in areas which are not well-lit but are popular cycling routes and installing more secure bike racks in residential and commercial areas, another proposal included incentivising sustainable transport. 

It noted that the government already provides grants and tax exemptions on bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and kick-scooters and, since 2022, provides free public transport.

While the NGO encourages such fiscal incentives, it further proposed others, such as tax credits or bonuses, to employees who cycled to work. 

“These schemes are widely used abroad as part of green travel plans within organisations, some of which are strongly supported by local and national governments,” the proposal read. 

The NGO proposes that the government morph the current tax schemes into up-front grant payments rather than tax rebates. 

“The government would not be incurring extra costs but an individual might find it easier to purchase a bike with an upfront voucher, rather than with a tax rebate.”

Need for suitable road design standards

Rota slammed the authorities in charge of delivering high-quality road infrastructure for not yet adopting quality standards for a safe and secure cycling infrastructure. 

It proposed a bicycle network, created to cater for sustainable road users, that would connect locations of interest to each other and provide a safe route throughout the island. 

It also highlighted that the quality and maintenance of sustainable transport infrastructure remains limited on the island. 

“This is unacceptable as it often makes several routes inaccessible for many or puts the lives of cyclists and pedestrians in danger, and Rota is therefore proposing stricter enforcement and harsher penalties for such actions, and regular maintenance and upkeeping of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.”