IN

TOWN

WITHOUT

MY CAR

MANIFESTO

Introduction

In Town Without My Car Gibraltar (ITWC) is a non-

governmental organisation made up of people who are very

interested in problems concerning transport and the

environment locally, and more specifically, in striving to find

solutions to these problems. The campaign came about

because we started asking a series of questions. How can

we best get people around Gibraltar? How can we make

journeys around Gibraltar convenient, predictable, and

comfortable?

We realised that at present there isn’t really much choice on

how to get around. So when we came to answer the

question “How can we best get people around Gibraltar” we

didn’t think the answer was – build more roads, build more

parking. We thought the answer was – give people a

choice.

Give people the realistic choice between using their car or

moped or a pleasant walking experience, a safe cycling

experience or using a bus which is reliable, predictable and

takes you where you want to go. Give people a realistic

choice to get out of their cars and onto the streets.

Our principal aim is to encourage people to use their cars

less and to rely more on alternative, more sustainable forms

of transport. In Gibraltar, the car is far more than just a

means of getting about, it is a status symbol and the use of

the car is deeply ingrained in our culture. Reversing this will

take time and it will require a sustained information and

awareness campaign to open people’s hearts and minds to

the possibility of change

ITWC Core Principles

The ITWC campaign is based around several core principles which we believe form

the basis of a solution to Gibraltar’s traffic problems. These principles are formed on

the basis of empirical evidence, academic research and, to a lesser extent, anecdotal

evidence gathered in our day to day dealings with commuters.

1. Our overall aim: The overall aim of any traffic management plan for Gibraltar

should be “To reduce reliance on private motorised transport and increase use

of public transport and walking & cycling”. This will deliver reliable, predictable

and comfortable ways of getting round Gibraltar in an efficient, non-polluting

manner.

2. More roads do not equal less traffic: Our traffic problem does not arise

primarily as a lack of infrastructure. Consequently building more roads will

only provide brief respite, not a solution. There is evidence to show that in fact

increasing road capacity results in road users altering their behaviour to fill the

available capacity. Therefore provision of increased capacity as a solution to

traffic, parking and transport problems has a net effect of zero.

3. We need to give people a real choice: Public transport, walking & cycling

need to be made more attractive options whilst simultaneously discouraging

unnecessary private vehicle usage. At present, the balance is tilted in favour

of the private vehicle and unless this is redressed, Gibraltarians’ dependence

on the car will remain.

4. We need information: There is a real lack of empirical data on issues of

traffic and transport. Conducting a comprehensive traffic study with collection

of adequate data is an essential component of traffic management. This much

is highlighted in the Government’s own Strategic Environmental Assessment

of the Development Plan.

5. We need to be creative in our approach: Gibraltar needs to think outside of

the box when it comes to addressing the issue of traffic locally. There are

innovative solutions to mobility issues which are successfully being

implemented elsewhere in the world and Gibraltar should seek to emulate

some of these.

6. We need to focus on quality of life: Air pollution and noise pollution are

currently detracting from the general quality of life in Gibraltar. Particulate

matter and other pollutants from vehicle emissions contribute to a number of

health problems including respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Expansion

of road capacity would only exacerbate this.

Specific Suggestions

The ITWC policy goal is inherently long term and sustainable. The

existing physical infrastructure of Gibraltar could easily cope with a

massive increase in demand from pedestrians, cyclists and public

transport, when accompanied by a decrease in private vehicle use.

Further, once a decision to actively discourage people from using

motor vehicles is taken, there is plenty of scope to improve and

increase the capacity and quality of the infrastructure available to

pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

The reason for this is simple. The space required to accommodate

pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users is a fraction of that

required to accommodate the motorist. One public bus can remove 40

or more cars from the road by accommodating people who would

otherwise choose to drive. Pedestrians and public transport users

don’t require parking spaces. Cyclists require far less space to park

their bicycles than car or motorbike drivers.

The following section details some specific suggestions which we

believe could go a long way towards solving Gibraltar’s traffic

problems and improving the quality of life for all residents.

1. Carry out a comprehensive traffic and transport study

In our view there is a need for improved data in relation to traffic,

transport and parking in Gibraltar. Questions like: What would a

sustainable transport system look like? How do people move about

Gibraltar and for what purpose? What are our predictions about how

these trends will develop in the future? How many parking spaces do

we have in Gibraltar? What is the division between on street, off street,

pay parking and free parking? These questions and others need to be

answered to provide a complete data foundation upon which to base

future development and traffic management plans.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Gibraltar Development Plan sets out

a number of key areas where data is lacking

• What is the nature of most journeys taken in Gibraltar (i.e. where do trips

originate and what are the routes used and ultimate destinations)?

• What are the constraints discouraging people from using public transport, and

how can these be rectified?

• What is the carrying capacity of the road network, and how easy would it be to

improve its utility?

2. Improve pedestrian routes, introduce greenways

Walking could benefit from a sustained awareness campaign stressing the health, as

well as environmental, benefits that would follow an increase in this activity. It should

be stressed that this beneficial activity can be assimilated into many people’s

everyday life by walking to work. Walking is the most natural mode of transport and

the one that has the least impact on the environment. Walking to work, however, is

not always the pleasant experience it might be. Pedestrians have to weave in and

out of parked cars to access pavements, motor cycles often block access, pedestrian

crossings are often sited well outside the “as the crow flies” route. Paths are often

exposed to the sun, rain or elements without anything in the way of protection or

cover.

So called “greenways” are a simple way of improving the pedestrian’s experience by

improving the quality of the pathways used to get from A to B. Introducing greenery

to provide shade, adequate and proper lighting, priority where greenways encounter

roads, benches, sufficient width to enable people to pass each other freely and

easily, signage indicating walking times between key areas. All of these ideas are

simple and when compared to providing road

capacity, relatively cheap.

Image: South end of Main Street: Widening

pavements, introducing traffic calming measures,

and natural shade all improve the pedestrian

experience.

3. Make cycling safer

There is a justifiable concern on the part of many residents that cycling in Gibraltar is

not wholly safe. The predominant opinion is that Gibraltar’s roads are not sufficiently

wide to accommodate cycle lanes. ITWC are of the opinion that many existing roads

could accommodate cycle lanes if on street parking were reduced. Apart from

improving the appearance of Gibraltar, removing on street parking would provide

sufficient width to introduce wider pavements and cycle lanes.

Image: On street parking would leave sufficient space for the introduction of cycle lanes and

significantly improves Gibraltar’s appearance.

Where cycle lanes are not possible ITWC would urge Government to consider the

introduction of cycle priority lanes. Cycle priority lanes are lanes painted onto the

road within the ordinary roadway and serve as a visual indicator to drivers as to the

space a cyclist requires to cycle safely, and the distances they should maintain if

overtaking or passing the cyclist.

4. Introduce Superhighways

Cycle and walking highways are also a solution that Gibraltar could consider. Rather

than placing cycle and walking paths on or adjacent to vehicular traffic roads, a cycle

superhighway is an entirely separate system.

By way of example, rather than firm proposal, ITWC would suggest two potential

Cycle/Pedestrian Superhighways;

a) City Wall Superhighway: Jumpers to American Steps

b) Devils Tower Superhighway: Sundial to Eastern Beach

A City Wall Superhighway would link the South District with the Town Area via the

City Walls. The Boulevard would link with the City Walls over Ragged Staff Gates,

and continued along the City Walls, over the top of the leisure centre, coming down

in the gap between the Kings Bastion Leisure Centre towards English Steps, behind

the Catholic Community Centre.

A Devils Tower Superhighway would follow the boundary of the Airfield / Cemetery,

skirting Cemetery Road and linking with the old aerial farm before arriving at Eastern

Beach.

We also think there are other suitable routes that might link Europort to the Frontier

via the runway, Victoria Stadium, Ocean Village and Montagu Gardens, and a further

Superhighway linking the Europort area with the Town centre.

5. Improve the bus service

ITWC has welcomed the introduction of a free bus service to Gibraltar. The new

buses in general are much improved and aim to offer a service which runs regularly

and services the whole of Gibraltar. Despite this, however, we feel that there are

areas in which the service could be improved. These are summarised below:

i) Routes similar to the old routes 3 (Frontier to Europa and return), 9 and 10

should be re-introduced. These routes worked well and there was no need

to change them.

ii) Route maps should show the actual routes taken around Gibraltar rather than

artificially trying to show them as linear loops which can be confusing.

iii) Timetables should show arrival/departure times from individual bus stops with

a view to moving to real time information with the help of modern

technology.

iv) Bus routes should be simplified, loops eliminated and duplication reduced on

the Morrisons – Market Place route.

v) Service users should be encouraged to change routes at points where routes

naturally overlap, rather than at a central hub.

A more detailed response to the bus satisfaction survey can be found on our

facebook page.

6. Make cycling more convenient

Cycling could be made much safer during key commuter periods by opening Main

Street and Irish Town to cyclists. This would be an immediate and cost free way of

making cycling an instantly more appealing option for cyclists into the Town Area.

Many towns and cities across Europe are now experimenting with allowing cyclists to

cycle against the flow of traffic in certain designated areas. Clearly this wouldn’t be

suitable on some of Gibraltar’s narrower streets but there are some areas where

allowing cyclists to cycle against the flow of traffic would significantly shorten cyclists’

journeys – examples include Fish Market Lane to Reclamation Road, and

Reclamation Road itself.

7. Opening up the city walls

There are some areas of Gibraltar where the ease of transit from high density

reclamation areas to the Town Area could be made significantly easier for

pedestrians as well as shorter and quicker. Opening up the City Walls works well in

the Area of Queensway Quay and Ocean Heights, and increasingly pedestrians are

using the Kings Bastion Leisure Centre as a shortcut into Town.

Opening up the City Wall beneath the American Steps would permit people to walk

straight from Reclamation Road through to Parliament Lane and Irish Town without

having to take the circuitous route through Chatham Counterguard, or negotiate the

American Steps. This would be a particularly useful route for pedestrians with

buggies, or cyclists.

8. Alternative access to the Upper Town

Outdoor escalators have been installed in many hilly cities, for

example Paris, Barcelona, Toledo, and in Hong Kong. ITWC

believes installation of outdoor escalators would be a real

possibility for the Upper Town and other parts of Gibraltar.

In Monaco public lifts are used to access hilly parts of the

principality. In Malaga the Gibralfaro Castle can be accessed

using a lift built into the hillside. Our existing tunnel and air raid shelter network

could be used to access lifts built into the Rock.

Removing the need for pedestrians and cyclists to climb steep hills would, in our

opinion, increase the number of people who would choose walking and cycling to

get to and from the Upper Town and other hilly areas of Gibraltar. We also think

such lifts and escalators would be a popular feature with visitors to the Rock and

would enhance the overall tourist product.

9. Cycle Scheme

ITWC welcomes the introduction of the new Gibibikes cycle scheme. Similar

schemes have enjoyed great success in cities such as Paris and Seville and could

provide a quick and convenient way of getting around Gibraltar. We fear, however,

that unless points 3, 4 and 6 are not introduced first (particularly point 3), the scheme

is likely to be less successful than it might otherwise be as people’s fears about

cycling safety will not have been addressed.

10. Car sharing

Car sharing is a natural way to encourage people to get around Gibraltar in a manner

which substantially reduces the demands on the existing infrastructure without giving

up what could well be the necessary use of a motor vehicle. Whilst there may be a

stigma attached to sharing your vehicle, Gibraltar would find itself in glamorous

company. Monaco already has a well established and successful car sharing

scheme.

Conclusion

In summary, ITWC believes that by choosing today to go down the route of tackling

Gibraltar’s traffic, transport and parking problems by providing more capacity,

Government is laying the ground work for a much bigger problem in the future.

Building capacity encourages people to use their motor vehicles more, and this,

combined with existing trends in vehicle use and ownership, mean that Gibraltar

could soon be facing true gridlock. (See full response to Integrated Traffic Plan for

more detailed analysis).

ITWC believes that this scenario could arise in the not too distant future. That is not

to say that we do not agree that improving, increasing and providing infrastructure for

road user has a legitimate part to play in a holistic transport policy – it does. In our

view, however, if that policy does not include serious and significant strategies to

reduce motor vehicle use and prioritise the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public

transport users, any relief provided will be short-lived. In the long-term, Gibraltar’s

traffic problems will become worse, attitudes to motor vehicle use will become more

entrenched, the time available to solve the problems will be much reduced and the

task for planners will become exponentially harder.

ITWC believes that the time to act is now.

Further reading

ITWC Response to Government’s Integrated Traffic, Transport and Parking Plan

ITWC Response to Bus Satisfaction Survey

Strategic Environmental Assessment of Gibraltar Development Plan

Visit the In Town Without My Car Facebook page (search for In Town Without My Car).