increased delivery windows within selected areas of
the inner town.
With the government’s commitment to only allow
electric and hybrid vehicles to be registered in
Gibraltar by 2030, how do you feel business are
going to respond to that and feel incentivised to
get ahead of the game?
Some businesses are already making positive
changes. At least one well known delivery com-
pany has recently acquired some electric vehicles.
Other new start companies have included bicycles
within their fleet for their deliveries and to get to
their clients and even rock tours can be done today
on electric bicycles. So, there is already a great deal
of awareness about and the dynamics of business is
changing. People are definitely moving in the right
direction and I am a happy man.
Are there any ideas to tackle cycling infrastruc-
ture in Gib and how to encourage more cycling?
My views of cycling infrastructure has been evolv-
ing as I slowly became more immersed in the subject.
Initially I thought that bicycle lanes were impossible
in Gibraltar because of our size constraints, then I
thought that even just a few stretches of cycle lane
would be better than nothing at all. Over time and by
learning how things are done in other cities I have re-
alised that short stretches of cycle lanes can in fact be
more dangerous to cyclists than having none at all as
each time bicycle lane merges onto a road, a conflict
point can be created. So, the future for cycling, will
mean the creation of sections of segregated bicycle
lane between key areas within Gibraltar. The best ex-
ample is between the Frontier and Europort which has
become a key cycling hub. Segregation is possible but
something will need to give.
Even shorter stretches of cycle lanes from say, the
new comprehensives to the westside housing area
could mean that more parents would be happy to
see their children cycle to school as opposed to be-
ing driven. Even a few children adopting the bicycle
would be a great start.
Has there been anything in conjunction with
the Department of Education to improve cycling
schemes in schools and encourage the next gen-
erations of cyclists?
The Royal Gibraltar Police have been running a
cycling proficiency course for over 40 years. They
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engage schoolchildren and run basic courses in
the playground environment teaching children the
basics. Although this helps build proficient cyclists,
these courses have traditionally never been taken
outside of the school playground and onto the road.
Recently, the Main Street and Irish Town shared cy-
cling / pedestrian space has seen the start of that
transition onto a protected stretch of road so that the
essential skills of road positioning may be applied.
We have recently announced a new syllabus
where we will be empowering children to take these
courses out into the field so to speak, and learn what
it is like to cycle within the real urban environment,
our Gibraltar. Stage one will continue to be carried
out with the playground, stage two in quieter urban
area with basic road junctions such as within es-
tates and Stage three will be taking them out onto
the busier roads therefore building confidence and
empowering individuals. It is a new initiative which
is based on the National Standards for Cycling Profi-
ciency will also teach anyone including adults should
they so wish. The course will also be available to
teach people who have never cycled before.
Could you tell us more about what is happening
with the electric scooter situation, we know that
there was recently a consultation paper discuss-
ing their road viability and safety, however what
is your personal view?
Government has just concluded its consultation
exercise; the closing date has already passed and
now the government will be looking closely at the
study and all the feedback in great detail before
taking a decision as to the way forward. The con-
sultation was not just a simple tick box exercise but
members of the public were also asked to comment.
We now have to thoroughly look at all the feedback
before taking this very important item to cabinet
to discuss and take a decision. This will take some
time, and will lead to the need to legislate either
way depending on whether the final decision taken
is to ban or regulate.
Do you think that the parking zones with people
having to pay for the permit and then for every
additional car per household incrementally is
deterring people from having more cars?
At present, the fact that people need to pay more
for each additional permit, double in fact for each
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
subsequent car, reinforces that having more than one
car without a private space to park it comes at a cost.
Gibraltar has one of the highest vehicle ownership
rates in the world and it makes little sense that we
should each own multiple cars per household which
spend the vast majority of their time parked on the
public highway without being used. At the end of the
day, this is all about the environment and our health.
It is also realistically about space and how best to
put this space to use for our common good.
What are the incentives in place to encourage
new car buyers to purchase Hybrid or Electric vehi-
cles through government money back scheme. How
well do you think this is working and how else can
new buyers be persuaded to make the swap?
Clearly the higher the incentive the more one is
perhaps encouraged to buy an electric or hybrid car.
At the moment the cash-back amount for a hybrid
has been reduced to £250 as more manufacturers
start to build hybrid models in a more mainstream
fashion. An electric car receives £2,500 cash-back
which is a great incentive, I think. For an E-bicycle
it is £200 cash-back, and £150 for an electric motor-
bike. Purchasers claim these incentives at the Driver
and Vehicle Licensing Department, or the MOT as we
all know it locally.
Are there plans to provide more electric charging
points for electric cars around Gibraltar and if so
where are you looking at placing these? Are new
buildings being set up with these facilities?
All new car-park facilities in Gibraltar have elec-
tric infrastructure already pre-installed but not the
charging points themselves. In that way we are
ready to provide the charging point as soon as the
demand arrives. However, MidTown car park does
have a number of charging points. When someone
purchases an electric car they simply contact their
electricity provider who installs a charging point and
meter at their location for a fee. It is important that
we are ready to provide the possibility of on-street
charging as and when necessary. In that way we can
be ready to adapt to change when it happens. The
issue of public charging points, is one of chicken and
egg, if we add many charging points without the nec-
essary demand, we lose general public spaces. Most
hotels have set up their own charging points for their
guests locally. Most people purchasing an electric
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
car will ensure that they have a personal electric
supply at home that guarantees a charge. Neverthe-
less, it is all about being ready for this change.
After the interview, we continued chatting with
Mr. Balban, candidly discussing his passion for cy-
cling, our environmental concerns and his sense of
responsibility towards road users and their safety.
Following the conversation, we hope that the
Government can combine the necessary road safety
measures, infrastructure and planning to help curb
polluters and encourage more sustainable methods
of transport.
It is up to all of us to try and make changes where
we can, perhaps by taking the bus more often, walk-
ing, or even trying something new like cycling. But
we can also encourage positive change by lobby-
ing our local politicians to implement constructive
changes and demonstrate that we are prepared for
and welcome them.
We understand that a lot of these changes cannot
happen overnight, especially when faced with bal-
ancing the needs of our economy, local businesses
and community. But accepting that some aspects of
our current way of life need to evolve, will hasten
these transitions.
As for Electric Scooters, we feel that although
there are several issues concerning their safety to
be addressed, they are a positive part of our future
transport choices. As they become mainstream in
other parts of the world, we hope that with the right
safety regulations E-Scooters can provide locals with
an ecological and convenient way to travel.
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