Driver grievously injured after truck overturns in Mosta

A 35-year-old Marsascala truck driver was grievously injured after the vehicle he was driving overturned in Triq Buqana, Mosta.

The police said the accident happened at around 10am.

A medical team administered first aid at the site of the accident, before he was transferred to Mater Dei Hospital. He was certified for his injuries at the site of the accident.

Civil Protection Department and Transport Malta officials were also sent to the site of the accident. Police investigations are still ongoing.

Time to rethink road design – ROTA

Bicycle advocacy group ROTA said photos shared on social media show the truck ended up within the bicycle lane, an area where any bicycle user could have been fatally injured.

“The current road design offers no protection for cyclists, and this tragic event highlights the pressing need for proper segregation between high-speed traffic and vulnerable road users, particularly those on bicycles,” ROTA said.

They said Malta is still without a legally binding national cycling policy that will outline clear standards for the design and implementation of safe and effective bicycle lanes.

“We cannot allow cyclists to be subjected to what is, at best, a makeshift effort that often amounts to nothing more than a splash of green paint and some rumble strips. It is not enough. Bicycle lanes need to be designed to protect cyclists – physically separated from traffic in high-speed areas, with sufficient space and barriers to prevent accidents,” the NGO said.

It also said a number of cycle lanes across Malta have been flagged to the authorities over a lack of safety on multiple occasions.

“For example, the Mgarr bicycle lane, which is dangerously narrow in several sections, making it nearly impossible for cyclists to pass through without risking their safety. In some parts, cyclists are forced to ride so close to rubble walls that they risk hitting their handlebars, a situation that clearly demonstrates the lack of attention to cyclist safety in the design of this lane,” ROTA said.

These cases, the NGO said, clearly demonstrate the need for immediate action to address these design flaws and ensure that cyclists have safe and properly segregated spaces to commute.

“The current state of bicycle infrastructure is inadequate, and it’s only a matter of time before more injuries or fatalities occur if we continue to neglect the needs of vulnerable road users,” it said.