Cortes restates Govt’s commitment to sustainable transport

The Gibraltar Government recognises the complexities of integrating cycling infrastructure into Gibraltar’s roads while balancing the interests of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, the Transport Minister Dr John Cortes said, as he restated his commitment to promoting sustainable transport.

In achieving that goal, the key is to find a balance between different demands on Gibraltar’s narrow roads.

“I am committed to promoting cycling, not at the expense of everything else, but I think we can integrate cycling into the psyche of Gibraltar,” Dr Cortes told the Chronicle.

“I have found, since I took on this responsibility not quite two years ago, that there is a very strong cycling lobby and a very strong anti-cycling lobby.”

“I have to play the middle ground there, in the sense that I have to try and keep people happy, but I am committed to sustainable transport, and I want to encourage people to cycle, to walk, to use public transport more than to use their cars.”

The most recent change has been the formalisation of the Saluting Battery, better known as La Bateria, into a shared space for both two-wheeled modes of transportation and pedestrians.

This change has been met with mixed responses across society, even among cyclists.

Some cyclists have pointed out that the shared area does not allow for a seamless merge into traffic. And while some pedestrians are in support of the move, others are against it.

Dr Cortes said that the feedback he has received so far has been “mixed.”

“A lot of people worried about it,” he said.

“And there’s been a letter from my friend Charles Durante in the Chronicle.”

“I have had a number of emails and letters.”

“I have had positive response from cyclists with certain reservations, which Paul [Balban] mentioned in your [Chronicle] article.”

One of the main criticisms is that the current route is “a cycle route to nowhere, because you come from a road and then you go back onto a road.”

Dr Cortes explained that this is a temporary situation due to major infrastructure works planned for the area.

“We are going to continue a cycle route southwards from the end of La Bateria past the GBC area and so on,” he said.

“But we can’t do that yet, because that area is due to have major works.”

“We need to lay a new sewage line, which will actually deal with the east side, across the Rock through a tunnel and all the way to Europa Point.”

“That’s going to be the subject of major works in the next year or so.”

“When we fix that bit of the road, we are going to extend cycling along that route.”

“That’s why it’s a little bit truncated at the moment.”

Safety, particularly for children, has also been a recurring concern.

“There have been concerns expressed, particularly about safety for children who may be playing in the area, and I think that’s one of the reasons why we’re doing it on a trial basis,” said Dr Cortes.

“But let’s be clear about this. This has always been a cycling route. People use it regularly on bicycles, so nothing really has changed in that respect.”

“I think what we’re doing now, in regulating it in some way, is probably the reverse of what people are worried about.”

“We are actually telling cyclists ‘you can come down this way, but pedestrians are priority’.”

“So it’s actually making the point to the cyclists that they have to be aware of pedestrians, which they may not be conscious of if that sign isn’t there.”

Dr Cortes added that they are looking for cyclists to be responsible, noting that sometimes Gibraltar is “a little bit isolated” and that in any European city there are similar shared spaces.

In addition, he noted that in other areas cycling is sometimes limited to particular hours, something that could also be factored into the mix here.

“I’ve seen it in some cities that they open a normally pedestrian route to cyclists, perhaps for two or three hours at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, but then after the end of school, normally they aren’t allowed, because that’s when you’re going to have children playing there,” said Dr Cortes.

“So this is a sort of tweaking we are going to do after the three-month period.”

He stressed that one reason for providing a cycling route along La Bateria is the danger that cyclists are potentially exposed to on Rosia Road.

“Cycling along that part of Rosia Road is really dangerous for a cyclist. It’s extremely narrow,” he said.

“If you’re going south, you’re up against the wall. There’s no way out.”

“People are worried about children being run over by cyclists on La Bateria, which is a concern.”

“But I think we should also be worried about a cyclist being killed by a car against the wall.”

“So taking cyclists off the road there, particularly at busy times, I think, is something that we need to look at favourably.”

Looking ahead, Dr Cortes outlined plans for further cycle lane extensions.

He said that Chatham Views, which is now nearing completion, will have an extension of the current cycle lane, which starts close to Bishop Fitzgerald School.

The lane will carry on along the front of that area.

In addition, planners are trying to link that route around the back of the petrol station at Devil’s Tongue to the existing cycle lane.

The minister said the Government is also working on finding an alternative cycling route north of Waterport Terraces, which links to Europort.

And it is working on a cycle route which will be paid for by the developer along Europort.