PEDAL POWER

By Jason Moore SO the quickest way to get around Palma is by bicycle, according to the latest survery. Well, I am sorry I don´t believe it. Are you going to tell me that pedal power is faster than car or moped. No way. The only way I can see a bike being faster than its motorised counterpart is if the driver breaks every traffic law in the book, by jumping red lights and riding on the pavements. If you use this formula, probably the quickest form of travel is on foot. At the moment Palma is involved in a scheme to promote cycling and to get more people to leave their car at home. This is all very well but why isn´t the city council building more cycle tracks in the city? So far a new track has been opened along the Paseo Mallorca and then there is a track along the Paseo Maritimo. These are the main ones. Why doesn´t every major road in the capital have its own cycle track? That would send a clear message to the small army of motorists that cycling is the future. Another question. Once you´ve got a bicycle where do you park it? Parking is difficult enough in Palma so perhaps the council should consider building more bicycle “parking areas.” So come on council if you really want some cyclists on the road then perhaps you should make a much bigger effort.