The Żebbuġ local council is the first locality to set up a bicycle repair kit in its village square, an incentive that has already received positive feedback from other councils. 

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the local council said it installed a bicycle repair kit in Triq Sciortino, which includes various fixing tools and an air pump that can be used at any time for free. 

“We have also installed a number of racks where you can park your bicycles or e-scooters,” it announced. 

At a time when cars rule the road, Żebbuġ is known for its positive incentives to promote and encourage the use of alternative transport.

One Sunday a month, Mdina Road is closed for a few hours and is transformed into a lane for cyclists and joggers.  An event that began last year, is now a staple in the council’s calendar. 

Żebbuġ councillor Steve Zammit Lupi, an avid cyclist himself, said this is the first bicycle repair kit installed in a village square in Malta. 

“As a council, in our limited capacity, we try to be proactive when it comes to mobility and cycling in general,” he told Times of Malta. 

“The installation of the repair kit is a compliment to all that we have been doing. It is a very simple intervention, but for a cyclist who finds himself without tools or might need a pump, it is a very important one.”

He said the kit was placed in a visible and central part of the town to make it easily accessible for cyclists and also for curious passers-by to see it and learn more about it.

“We have already received positive feedback from other towns showing interest in the kit, so hopefully it can be replicated elsewhere.”

Last month, Transport Malta said it is in discussion with seven local councils to introduce e-scooter parking bays in their localities.

The parking bays will ensure that anyone leaving an e-scooter abandoned in front of a garage or in the middle of a pavement will continue to be charged until it is parked in a designated spot.