it wor ers ta e to pe a power to beat traffic jams
KUALA LUMPUR: The frustration of being stuck in traffic jams and having limited parking spots has led some city workers to opt for the bicycle.
Businessman Wong Hau Young, 38, who started working in Kuala Lumpur in 2005, gave up driving in the city four years ago.
“I’m tired of being trapped in traffic jams, especially during peak hours,” he said.
He now cycles to work every day and to destinations within a 25km radius of his apartment in Desa Pandan here.
Wong, who sells martial arts supplies, claimed that getting around Kuala Lumpur by bicycle was as quick as driving, if not faster.
“I often deliver my goods to shops in Pudu. Cycling from Ampang to Pudu takes less than 20 minutes,” he said.
Project manager Daniel Thuraiappah, 44, a Petaling Jaya resident who works in Jalan Ampang here, cited financial reasons for opting for the two-wheeler.
“Petrol and parking fees could easily eat up more than RM1,000 in Kuala Lumpur,” he lamented.
Daniel, who has been cycling to work since 2011, has met with two biking accidents.
“I had a collision with a lorry once. I fell sideways and ended up with cuts, bruises and a nail in my butt,” he said.
In another incident, he fell into a pothole during heavy rain, fracturing one of his ribs.
“Make sure you do not cycle when tired,” he advised.
The frailty of bicycles has discouraged many from picking up the mode of transport in a city dominated by motor vehicles.
Scarlet, 30, confessed to being apprehensive about cycling in Kuala Lumpur but had since grown to love it after following the example of her boss, who cycled to office.
Last year, Scarlet connected with a group of urban cyclists on Facebook.
Before adopting the bicycle as her main mode of transport, she had to take the bus and KTM commuter, and walk a short distance before reaching her office.
“It was tiring and took more than an hour to reach my company,” she said.
Today, Scarlet takes 40 minutes to cycle from her home in Kampung Datuk Keramat to her workplace in Jalan Sultan Ismail.
“Cycling is the easiest and most efficient mode of transport in the city,” she said.