Details of a multimillion active mobility network promising to provide a “realistic alternative” to cars were announced on Tuesday.  

The first phase of the €35 million plan will look at the Grand Harbour area and should be completed by the end of 2024, a transport ministry statement said.

The investment aims to make walking and cycling safer, with routes aiming to be direct and continuous. 

“We are offering people realistic alternatives to their private vehicles. Safe routes, with the proper infrastructure, are needed for people to make use of alternative modes of transport,” Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said.  

In October, Farrugia announced the plan saying that between 50 and 60 kilometres of additional cycling routes are planned for Malta’s road network within five years. 

Officials gave details of the plan to stakeholders on Tuesday. Photo: Transport Ministry

The announcement came days after Farrugia accepted an invitation to join cyclists on a bicycle ride so that he can experience their concerns about Malta's roads.  

On Tuesday, the government gave details of phase one of the plan which will focus on connections between Msida, Blata l-Bajda, Valletta, and the Valletta waterfront.  

Infrastructure Malta revealed drawings that show segregated cycling routes from Valletta to Blata l-Bajda to the Valletta waterfront; Valletta to Pietà; and Valletta to the Msida waterfront.

“These vital nodes will then be connected to the northern and southern areas of the Grand Harbour,” the statement said.  

The plan will also give users the possibility to switch between different modes of transport along a route, making it possible to store a bicycle in a “mobility hub” and continue the journey by bus. 

In comments to Times of Malta, Cycling NGO Rota said it was “enthusiastic” about the launch of the network and the plan is "crucial” to sustainable mobility.  

”We understand that this is a crucial moment for Malta to create a proper cycling infrastructure which can bring about a much-needed change in the country's mobility scene,” NGO’s president Mark Trapani said.

“Nevertheless, we can only be certain once the infrastructure is implemented and tested,” he added. 

Trapani said that in general, people in Malta do not commute more than five to 10 km, and with the help of pedelecs, this distance can be covered in just 15-30 minutes. 

But the lack of a safe and segregated bicycle infrastructure is a persistent issue among commuters, Trapani said. 

He said Rota has been in constant contact with Infrastructure Malta and gave its advice on the mobility plan.  

Rota, Trapani said, continues to advocate for a legally binding cycling policy which would set standards in road and cycle lane construction.  

“This is a matter we have been waiting for for years, but which has been repeatedly postponed,” he said.