How we roll…

By Stuart Hedley
It’s easy to look at the great cycling cities of Europe, marvel at their level of mobility efficiency and less dependency on the polluting combustion engine, and believe they have always been that way.

The truth is that back in the day those cities were just as much a slave to cars and motorbikes as Gibraltar is now.

Post WWII they initially evolved with the motor car in the same way as every other.
City planners dedicated vast amounts of space to accommodating the storage and movement of large, privately owned vehicles which are unutilised for 95-96% of their lifespan, and which some believe contribute to our physical and mental degradation for the other 4-5% when they transform from being stationary objects to being traffic.

So what changed?
In the case of Amsterdam multiple factors, historic, economic and social, collided to force politicians of the day to create policy promoting the use of the bicycle as the dominant mode of personal transport.

There was a natural realisation that the narrow alleys, originally designed for pedestrians and carts (sound familiar?), were not suitable for high volumes of cars.
Also, a high level of fatal accidents resulted in a movement known as ‘Stop the kindermoord’ (stop the child murder), and awareness and activism around environmental issues began to grow in significance.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, in response to public pressure, the Dutch government began to implement pro biking policies and direct investment towards cycle infrastructure.
Closer to home, both Seville and Cadiz have become notable cycling cities over the last 20 years.

Despite death threats to decision makers in Cadiz, officials pushed ahead with environmental goals and aspirations for residents and tourism, channelling scarce resources into dedicated cycling infrastructure.

Both cities consider their investment decisions to have been successful as they have resulted in safer, healthier and more sustainable urban transport systems.
Prior to this investment in Seville, cycling had accounted for less than 0.5% of all trips.
This rose to over 6% in the first five years.

Both cities claim that encouraging cycling has had a positive effect on their tourism industry.

But of course, altogether now: “Gibraltar is different”.
Yes, Gibraltar is different. Nowhere else in the world is there such a high level of vehicle ownership per capita; nowhere else in the world are there more vehicles per kilometre of road network.

44% of children aged 5-17 are either overweight or obese; 25% of the adult population over the age of 55 are afflicted by type 2 diabetes.

The benefits of an active transport system have been widely acclaimed ad nauseum.
A myriad of data collected over multiple decades exists to prove investment in active transport pays dividends in the form of healthier and happier residents who are less reliant on the healthcare system. From this point we can now move on.

To believe that Gibraltar does not have space for active transport infrastructure, but believing Gibraltar does have space for a transport system that continues to encourage the ownership and use of vast, inefficient, privately owned vehicles that encourage a sedentary lifestyle, is another point from which we need to progress.

In Gibraltar, the last 20 years have seen the private and public sectors individually add thousands of new residential units, most delivered with space for parking one or more vehicles.

Look at the skyline, cranes abound, thousands more residential units are on the way.
We are very well aware that the road network has not had, and is incapable of having, the same dramatic growth.
The challenge of accommodating more vehicles in our finite amount of space is one we can no longer ignore.

The quiet forces encouraging residents to maintain their car and motorbike dependency, such as continued subsidies on already relatively low cost fossil fuels; no road tax; provision of cheap parking; no introduction of low emissions zones or reverting roads to pedestrian priority; and only limited enforcement of sensible speed limits, suggest that we are not yet focused on protecting our environment or improving our health and quality of life.

It could be construed that because the car is still considered a status symbol in Gibraltar, legacy policy that aids their ownership and encourages their use leads to happy voters. Until it doesn’t.

As the negative impact of such a massive volume of vehicles in such a small place is felt, history demonstrates that voters look to policy makers to encourage more sustainable personal transport decisions.

In contrast to cities that have had similar transport issues to Gibraltar we have yet to see activism en masse demanding change.

Fortunately, and some might say miraculously, we have not yet had children killed by recklessly driven motor vehicles on narrow roads that have space for on street parking but not for pavements.

Incredible as it sounds, the unfolding climate catastrophe still does not appear to be a significant catalyst for change.

Collectively we appear to be in denial that our current transport choices are leading to a degradation of our immediate and wider environment and to the quality of our lives: mentally through the stress of noisy, gridlocked roads and physically through the contribution a sedentary lifestyle makes to obesity and diabetes; as well as the effect kerbside pollution is having on our respiratory systems and development of allergies.

I am pleased to report that there is hope from elements in the community who understand our environmental challenges and the significance an active transport strategy can have on the community.

EBike-Gibraltar have had the privilege of working with OTWO Magazine since we opened in 2019.

The initial Stay Calm and Support Safe Cycling On the Rock campaigns united over 50 local organisations and all political parties, as well as hundreds of members of the cycling community, to lobby for dedicated cycle infrastructure.

Vanessa at OTWO continues to be the driving force behind the communication of sustainable transport benefits, including the campaigns seen today on the back of buses.

We are also guided by Lewis and his team at The Nautilus Project, and Janet and the many hundreds of supporters of The Environmental Safety Group NGO who provide such an invaluable service to both our environment and our community.
It doesn’t end there.

At the grassroots level of personal transportation we have Pedal Ready introducing new cyclists of all ages to the joys of safe cycling and correct road behaviour.
Hopefully we will soon see cycling proficiency added to the school curriculum where it belongs in order to flourish.

Minister Cortes has himself accepted the challenge of learning to ride and we very much support his sponsored ride in aid of GBC Open-Day. This is another fantastic initiative spearheaded by Vanessa at OTWO.

Kudos must also be extended to our previous Transport Minister Paul Balban for his role in developing the Sustainable Trac, Transport and Parking Plan (STTPP) which outlines how the Government intend to build a sustainable and safe transport network for Gibraltar.
We have the start of a dedicated cycle network which has already contributed to a great uptick in kids commuting to school by bike, as can be seen by the fully loaded cycle racks at the school’s entrance.

Almost one million journeys were recorded on the first stretch of cycle lane in the first 12 months of use and we are assured by Minister Cortes that it will continue to be rolled out in the not too distant future.

Make cycling safe and adoption levels soar.

There is also access to a broad range of bikes and eBikes which you can try before you buy from a number of quality dealers; Gibraltar even has an incentive rebate scheme to encourage eBike ownership when purchases are made locally.

And, 25 years on from when it was introduced in the UK, we are now beginning the process of creating a cycle to work scheme which, through tax incentives, will help employees afford the purchase of bicycles and eBikes for use on their commute.

The Sustainable Transport Action Group, with the help of the GFSB and the Chamber of Commerce, is in the process of surveying the business community to assess their appetite for ‘Cycle to Work Gibraltar’.

If you are unsure of how a cycle to work scheme can benefit Gibraltar, all knowing ChatGTP has a compelling list, concluding: “By implementing a cycle-to-work scheme, Gibraltar could not only enhance the quality of life for its residents but also contribute to a healthier, more sustainable, and more efficient urban environment”.

Who doesn’t want that?
If you would like your company to be involved in the Cycle to Work Gibraltar survey, email info@ebike-gibraltar.com or follow this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1s5RTvkM7F3qlp5rKKBHzZHBobU5UMMTe9-sePTkhyIo/ viewform?edit_requested=true

As we crawl towards total saturation of the road network one of the biggest challenges is achieving a universal respect for all road users by all road users.

As obvious as that sounds, you don’t have to venture far from home, or on your social media accounts, to realise this mentality does not always prevail.

In theory, those committed to their cars for whatever reason should be championing the development of additional active transport infrastructure which will give others the opportunity to make fewer unnecessary journeys by car and motorbike, relieving that valuable space on the road.

In the past it appears that this has been a challenging concept for some to grasp, but our current reality is ensuring dissenting voices are becoming fewer and further between.
Certainly, there is the need to distinguish between essential vehicle journeys - made by emergency services, public transport, elderly and less abled, young families, commercial vehicles and taxis - and non-essential vehicle journeys.

It may be time for our policy makers to revisit the current policies which are sustaining and encouraging non-essential vehicle use so that essential vehicle journey trac is able to flow.

And for those who want to choose to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem we fundamentally need the continued implementation of safe active transport infrastructure, including pedestrian priority zoning on those roads devoid of pavements, and continued investment in a cleaner and more comprehensive public transport system.

Ultimately, I share the belief that common sense will prevail.

The people of Gibraltar will unite behind current government officials who consider the health of the community, preservation of our environment, and our ability to continue to roll, rather than be stuck in perpetual gridlock, to be of paramount importance.

Stuart Hedley is a co-founder of EBike-Gibraltar, one of many local companies and organisations committed to supporting and promoting initiatives that benefit the health of the community and help protect our environment. EBike-Gibraltar was this year’s winner of the Business Sustainability Award.