ESG Press Release re Cycling in Main Street and Irish Town
14th September 2018
In the light of the recent incident in Main Street, highlighted in a Panorama article, when an elderly man was hit by a cyclist – out of scheduled cycling times – and anecdotal feedback from the general public, on the misuse of the cycle lanes, in both Main Street and Irish Town, the ESG feels that its reservations about this initiative have been proved correct. It feels that the cycling lanes are curtailing the freedom of the pedestrian, as well as endangering them, and moreover having no impact on reducing traffic – the real problem in Gibraltar which needs to be tackled much more radically.
The ESG does endorse cycling but not at the expense of pedestrians.
It is only if cycling becomes a safe option on our roads that more people might choose to leave their motorised vehicles at home. The ESG is aware that there are no easy solutions to the problem but one way to immediately cut down on the amount of traffic would be to resurrect the Park & Ride project at Devil’s Tower Road. Cars entering Gibraltar would have to be left at this car park and visitors would need to walk or take a bus into Gibraltar. This could help create calmer roads and a more cycle friendly environment.
The ESG calls upon Government to urgently reassess and reverse its “cycling in town policy” before a more serious accident occurs. 14th
