Local NGOs have expressed their disappointment at authorities on the Gozo fast ferry e-bike policy regarding the carriage of such bikes, saying that they have been “taken for a ride by Transport Malta.”

In a joint statement, the organisations slammed Transport Malta and the Malta Maritime Authority, saying that, “yet again they have postponed an important meeting with civil society organisation representatives from Moviment Graffitti, Rota and Friends of the Earth Malta, intended to address unfair policies hampering e-bike and scooter commuters of the Gozo Fast Ferry.”

The organisations expressed grave concern that, “as usual, multimodal transport is not prioritised.” This despite the growing need to tackle traffic and to meet Malta’s environmental obligations to the public and internationally, they said.

They said that the latest meeting set for Friday at 9am was cancelled that same morning, “meaning members of the organisations, some from Gozo, were already on their way or had already arrived at the Transport Malta Offices in Lija.”

The organisations stated that “Friday’s date was set after a prior meeting earlier this month was also cancelled at short notice.”

“The authorities’ brazen attitude towards the issue at hand, and the citizens it supposedly represents, raises questions about the authorities’ priorities,” they said.

The organisations’ representatives reminded the authorities that “their salaries are paid by taxpayers, and that the public they serve is their utmost priority and should thus be treated with respect rather than being taken for a ride.”

In the spirit of constructive dialogue, the three organisations stressed that they asked for the meeting after the Gozo fast ferry operator started to enforce rules limiting the carriage of electric bicycles – “ranging from an outright ban on e-bikes to requiring them to be left outside in conditions vulnerable to weather and seaspray, and demanding 20 minutes early boarding.”

The organisations claimed that “all these rules were put in place because of overblown and unevidenced concerns of spontaneous combustion of lithium-ion batteries.”

The organisations, whose representatives, they claimed, “are experts in the field of transport and health,” were going to emphasise in the meeting that “such risks are inherent to all battery types, including those in electric cars, laptops, vapes and mobile phones, and are a rare outcome of battery tampering, use of non-reputable electronics, or malfunction while charging.”

According to the organisations, they had “found no evidence of any other public transport companies with similarly restrictive policies for e-bikes within Europe.”

“To mitigate any fire risk, turning off e-bike batteries while on board should suffice,” the organisations said.

The organisations went on to say that “the above was further corroborated by Cycling Industries Europe, the trade organisation for the cycling sector in Europe,” who confirmed that “e-bikes are subject to very high security and safety standards meaning fire risks are minimal” and additionally, that “practically all recorded battery fires to date happened while the battery was being charged.”

They argued that “restrictive policies for electric bicycles contrast with the government’s significant financial incentives to encourage citizens to shift from cars to electric bicycles, particularly for residents of Gozo.”

“Pairing an electric bicycle with a fast ferry link between Gozo and Valletta is an efficient alternative to car travel between the two islands, alleviating traffic congestion and air pollution,” the organisations said.

They added, “the ever-changing policies of the Gozo fast ferry operator towards e-bikes make it harder to achieve the objectives of electrifying transport and reducing reliance on cars.”

“The policies inaccurately portray e-bikes as hazardous devices, while causing inconvenience to the public. The lack of notice, whimsical enforcement and botched implementation of these policies all serve to dampen the uptake of e-bikes by commuters.” the organisations said.

They also argued that the Gozo fast ferry service – a much-needed fast connection between Malta and Gozo for commuters, residents and visitors – “is heavily subsidised by taxpayers. Service to citizens should be the first priority.”

The organisations are therefore publicly urging the transport authorities and Gozo fast ferry operators to revisit their e-bike policies “to ensure a more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable transport system, respecting the users of their service.”

“The simple solution we propose, making it mandatory to switch off the electric battery when boarding the ferry, is inexpensive and easily implemented.,” they said.

The organisations concluded by saying that “when viewed in the context of wider transport problems in Malta, the glaring lack of cycling infrastructure and growing traffic problems, the authorities seem entirely out of their depth to handle these issues, when action is urgently needed.”

Lonely bicycle at cancelled TM meeting

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