Cyclists were being used to promote new infrastructural projects though bike commuting still seemed to be an afterthought, according to the Bicycle Advocacy Group.

“BAG receives a lot of criticism because we speak about safety. They tell us that the country has its own limitations and that there is no space for bike commuting,” the group’s president, Michelle Attard Tonna, said on the occasion of World Bicycle Day.

“Lately, we are often being used to promote new infrastructural projects, however, when we see these projects we realise that the space for bike commuting would have been done as an afterthought and in a dangerous or irrational manner,” she said.

Speaking in Mosta, following a ride from Ta’ Qali with a stop at San Anton Palace to greet President George Vella, Dr Attard Tonna said BAG did not believe commuters should compromise their safety when using the bicycle.

More than 150 cyclists took part.

Those who travelled by bicycle not only had the right to do so but should be celebrated because they were using a clean mode of transport that did not take much space, she added.

“Our argument has always been consistent – offer different and sustainable alternatives for mobility so that everyone can have the opportunity to travel the way they want. We believe that if the authorities apply goodwill and common sense, we will one day manage to fulfil this target,” she remarked.

Dr Attard Tonna noted that cyclists were a minority that was slowly growing every day. However, there were also silent members within the cycling community, others who did not cycle but would like to and still others who supported relatives who cycled.

“It’s high time we are listened to. It’s high time the authorities understand how important it is that they give us a choice to travel the way we deem best, indeed, how important it is that this choice is not taken away from us,” Dr Attard Tonna insisted. 

The right for space was already there, however, cyclists were finding themselves in a situation where they needed to protect that territory and fight for it, she continued. 

Cyclists called on President George Vella at San Anton Palace, in Attard, on Sunday. Photo: Daryl Cauchi/Bicycle Advocacy Group

Apart from concerns about emissions, respiratory problems, traffic jams and the loss of precious space for parking lots, Dr Attard Tonna also mentioned small wins. 

These include the increasing awareness about the need for sustainable mobility and, thanks to the Transport Ministry, the first segregated bicycle lane.

There was also infrastructural improvement in some zones, she said, adding that such infrastructure needed to be rendered safer and should allow connectivity.