Speaking to FMT, Ikatan Silaturrahim Brotherhood leader Azlan Sani Zawawi said he would interpret the move as an attempt by City Hall (DBKL) to show motorcyclists that it cares about them.
“But it will have little impact, if any,” he said. “The zones are at the front of traffic. That’s where we motorcyclists have always waited for the lights to turn, anyway.”
Bernama reported earlier that the zones will be marked with red and white paint. Motorcyclists will not be allowed to stop outside such a zone and other vehicles must stop behind it.
Azlan said enforcing such a regulation would be difficult. “I suppose it’s good to have a proper space up front, but to make sure every motorcyclist stops in that box in traffic is hard because we are talking about KL and thousands of motorcyclists.”
Because the impact of the initiative would be so insignificant, he said, he would dismiss it as nothing more than window dressing.
“This initiative comes after Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor was lambasted for saying he was trying to decide whether or not to ban kapchais in the city. This is nothing more than to show that the authorities are concerned about motorcyclists.”
Last January, Tengku Adnan was quoted as saying the proposal to ban the entry of kapchais into the city centre was among many efforts to reduce carbon emissions and to combat the menace of snatch thefts. After receiving a lot of criticism, he said there would be no ban if the public disagreed.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz said on Thursday that the decision to have motorcycle zones was prompted by City Hall’s desire to see a reduction in snatch thefts and the breaking of car windows.
Azlan acknowledged the move would deter thieves to some extent, but not in the way the authorities might be thinking.
“A thief might think twice if he knows other motorcyclists are in one large group up in front and can catch him if he tries to pass them,” he said. “But thefts can always happen, nonetheless.”
He said City Hall should embark on other initiatives, such as fixing and maintaining roads, if it was serious in showing motorcyclists it cared about them.
“My group filled in a few potholes and covered some manholes two nights ago,” he said.
“In a busy city like KL, I reckon we should also promote a give-and-take culture among road users. There are too many riders and drivers in KL and it’s hard to use the roads strictly according to the rules. This is true even for the police.”