According to studies by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, 35.6% of cycling fatalities occur between cars and cyclists, while 21.6% take place between motorcycles and cyclists.
The research also found a distinct lack of bicycle lanes and facilities throughout Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya and Penang island, except where development projects that prioritise sustainable development and green initiatives are being built.
This makes Singaporean bike-sharing startup oBike’s aim to provide Malaysians with dockless, app-enabled bicycles fairly difficult.
Recently, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) confiscated 250 oBikes bicycles, claiming that the startup’s operation was not legal and the bikes were obstructing sidewalks.
This throws a spanner in the works of what could be a truly great initiative for Malaysians. The theory behind making bicycles available throughout Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya is an excellent one – it provides Malaysians with a much greener mode of alternative transport.
Bike-sharing startups are becoming increasingly popular in China as well, where the government aims to reduce greenhouse emissions per unit of gross domestic product by 60%-65% by 2030. Companies like Mobike, Ofo and Bluegogo have been popping up all over the country, and the government has been encouraging people to drive hybrid cars that produce less carbon emissions.
Swapping cars for bicycles is also a much cheaper way to get around. Car ownership is expensive – there’s not only the car to buy, but also road tax to pay for, maintenance to upkeep the vehicle, petrol every other week or so depending on how much your car needs and how often you drive, and so on.
If cycling to your destination were a realistic mode of transportation, saving money would be much easier as it eliminates nearly all the costs mentioned above.
Contributing to a cleaner environment and saving money aren’t the only benefits of getting into the habit of cycling. Cycling also gives you a great daily workout, which is important in a country where 13.3% of the population is obese and 38.5% is overweight, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The report also found that only a third of Malaysian adults had ever exercised and just 14% exercise regularly. Our sedentary lifestyles are cutting our lives short – the integration of a cycling culture would be a tremendous help in getting us into gear.
However, much of Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding townships are built with cars in mind. In fact, according to a 2014 Nielsen report, Malaysia has the world’s third largest population of car owners, and 54% of households in the country have more than one car.
Cyclists have very few designated lanes where they can ride safely, and many resort to riding on the pavement, which puts both them and pedestrians in danger.
There is still hope, though – oBike met with Selangor authorities to try and figure out how the service can be properly implemented.
Beyond just the provision of bikes, cyclists need proper lanes and facilities in order to ride safely, and motorists must be educated to treat cyclists with respect and care to reduce the number of fatalities on the road.
Of course, this is much easier said than done. But in the grand scheme of things, a more bicycle-friendly city will benefit both the country and its citizens for a long time to come.
* The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.