ADPD-The Green Party welcomes the publication of the National Cycling Strategy 2026–2036, noting that it is long overdue. The strategy makes the right noises about the need for safe roads, connected cycling infrastructure and better facilities if cycling is to become a realistic option for everyday commuting.
ADPD-The Green Party spokesperson Mario Mallia said that the values underpinning the strategy largely reflect those advocated by ADPD, based on the well-established Mobility Pyramid. This places walking and cycling, together with public transport, at the top of mobility priorities, with private cars at the bottom. However, embracing these principles requires more than encouraging people to change their habits. It requires a fundamental change in how we allocate our limited public space and a fundamental change in urban planning.
If government is serious about encouraging cycling and walking, it must be prepared to reassign road space away from private cars and towards dedicated cycling infrastructure, wider pavements, safer crossings and pedestrian-friendly streets. Instead, government has consistently pursued policies that increase space for cars through road widening, flyovers and infrastructure projects that reinforce car dependency. Government has also made it bureaucratically more difficult for people to use scooters on our roads, instead of investing in making roads safer for alternative means of mobility. These contradictory signals undermine any strategy intended to encourage alternative mobility.
ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci added that ADPD local councillors have through the years supported safer and slower streets, bicycle facilities and pedestrianisation. Unfortunately lack of support from central government means that progress has been quite slow. It is positive that local councils will be involved in implementing the strategy. However, if ministers and MPs genuinely believe in the principles outlined in the cycling strategy, they must stop pandering to those who want to preserve the status quo, including voters who resist any proposal that reduces the space available to private cars. Political leadership means explaining why change is necessary, not avoiding difficult decisions.
ADPD welcomes the strategy, but it will remain little more than a wishlist unless it is accompanied by a concrete implementation plan, with clearly identified deliverables, allocated resources, measurable targets and firm deadlines. Government must also work closely with experts in sustainable mobility, cycling advocacy organisations, local councils and communities to ensure that the strategy translates into practical improvements on our streets.
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ADPD jilqa’ b’sodisfazzjon l-istrateġija għaċ-ċikliżmu, iżda fl-aħħar mill-aħħar hemm bżonn l-azzjoni
ADPD-The Green Party jilqa’ b’sodizfazzjon il-pubblikazzjoni tal-Istrateġija Nazzjonali għaċ-Ċikliżmu 2026-2036, minkejja li dan hu biss l-ewwel pass li missu ilu li ttieħed. L-istrateġija tagħraf l-importanza ta’ toroq aktar siguri, infrastruttura għaċ-ċikliżmu kontinwa u konnessa, u faċilitajiet aħjar sabiex iċ-ċikliżmu jsir għażla realistika għall-vjaġġi ta’ kuljum, inkluż dawk lejn u mix-xogħol.
Il-kelliem ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Mario Mallia, qal li l-prinċipji li fuqhom hija msejsa l-istrateġija jirriflettu dak li ADPD ilu jisħaq dwaru: strateġija bbażata fuq il-Piramida tal-Mobbiltà. Dan hu mudell stabbilit sew li jagħti prijorità lill-mixi, liċ-ċikliżmu, u lit-trasport pubbliku, filwaqt li l-karozzi privati jinsabu fil-qiegħ tal-Piramida. Għalkemm dan id-dokument hu pass fid-direzzjoni t-tajba, li nħeġġu n-nies ibiddlu d-drawwiet tagħhom mhux biżżejjed. Hemm bżonn bidla fundamentali fil-mod li bih nallokaw l-ispazju pubbliku limitat tagħna, kif ukoll bidla radikali fl-ippjanar urban.
Jekk il-Gvern irid tassew jinkoraġġixxi ċ-ċikliżmu u l-mixi, irid ikun lest li jippjana aħjar l-ispazju fit-toroq, billi jnaqqas l-ispazju għall-karozzi privati u joħloq infrastruttura apposta għaċ-ċikliżmu, bankini usa’, u toroq aktar siguri li jagħmlu l-mixi aktar faċli u pjaċevoli. Minflok, il-Gvern għażel b’mod konsistenti strateġiji li jagħtu prijorità lill-karozzi permezz tat-twessigħ tat-toroq, flyovers u proġetti infrastrutturali li jkomplu jżidu d-dipendenza tagħna fuq il-vetturi privati. Il-burokrazija żejda tal-Gvern wasslet sabiex l-użu tal-iscooters fit-toroq tagħna jsir aktar diffiċli, meta kien ikun ferm aktar għaqli li ninvenstu sabiex it-toroq tagħna jsiru aktar addattati għal mezzi alternattivi ta’ mobbiltà. Dawn huma sinjali kontradittorji li jdgħajfu kull strateġija maħsuba biex issaħħaħ mezzi alternattivi ta’ trasport. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar l-istrateġija trid tiġi tradotta f’azzjoni.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Sandra Gauci, żiedet tgħid li tul is-snin il-kunsilliera lokali ta’ ADPD appoġġaw toroq aktar siguri u b’veloċità mnaqqsa, faċilitajiet għaċ-ċiklisti u l-pedonalizzazzjoni. Sfortunatament, in-nuqqas ta’ appoġġ mill-Gvern ċentrali wassal biex il-progress f’dan ir-rigward kien wieħed imqanżaħ. Huwa pożittiv li l-kunsilli lokali se jkunu involuti fl-implimentazzjoni tal-istrateġija. Madankollu, jekk il-ministri u l-Membri Parlamentari verament jemmnu fil-prinċipji msemmija fl-istrateġija għaċ-ċikliżmu, hemm bżonn li ma jkomplux iċedu għall-pressjoni ta’ dawk li jridu jżommu l-istatus quo, inkluż votanti li jirreżistu kull proposta li tnaqqas l-ispazju disponibbli għall-karozzi privati. Tmexxija politika serja tgħin lin-nies jifhmu l-ħtieġa tal-bidla, minflok tevita deċiżjonijiet iebsa li hemm bżonn li jittieħdu.
ADPD jilqa’ din l-istrateġija b’sodisfazzjon, iżda nistaqsu: x’tiswa jekk ma tkunx akkumpanjata minn pjan konkret ta’ implimentazzjoni, b’miżuri u miri ċari, riżorsi xierqa, u dati ċari għall-implimentazzjoni? Il-Gvern għandu wkoll jaħdem mill-qrib ma’ esperti fil-qasam tal-mobbiltà sostenibbli, għaqdiet li jaħdmu favur iċ-ċikliżmu, kunsilli lokali u komunitajiet, sabiex jiżgura li l-istrateġija tissarraf f’titjib konkret fit-toroq tagħna.
Aktar informazzjoni/Read more:
ADPD National Transport Master Plan 2030
