Hurdles for cycling in the city

BACK in January 2014, the mayor of Kuala Lumpur launched the monthly KL Car Free Morning, where some roads in the city centre were closed to motor vehicles for two hours. The objective, I believe, was to encourage citizens to take up a more environmentally friendly mode of transport such as cycling.

Fast forward to today where the same event is now a fortnightly affair dominated by people on bicycles but there seems to be no significant change in the number of people riding bicycle as a mode of transport in the city.

So far, I have not heard of any data being collected by DBKL to gauge the success of KL Car Free Morning.

Recently, a friend had his bicycle impounded by DBKL after he parked it at a bus stop. The incident became a big issue in social media and prompted a peaceful protest by bicycle advocates at last Sunday’s Car Free Morning during which an unfortunate scuffle between DBKL officers and bicycle users occurred.

Every year during the KL Car Free Morning, I always hear the mayors (former and current) and the FT Minister talking about making KL a green city by encouraging people to ride bicycles. So far, however, no one has made good on these promises.

Cycling as a mode of transport has not been a priority in the KL transport policy. It looks more like an afterthought, as is evident in the existing bicycle infrastructure that are not connected and are poorly maintained.

DBKL needs to do more to improve the infrastructure for cycling. As former MP for Bukit Bintang Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye wrote in his letter “Adopt proactive approach to protect our young cyclists” ( The Star, Feb 22), steps need to be taken seriously to make riding bicycles safe for everyone. Apart from the com- pulsory helmet, what is truly needed to effectively protect cyclists is political willpower to ensure DBKL makes good on its promise to promote cycling as a valid means of transport in the city to battle chronic traffic congestion, create a healthier society and reduce pollution. Learn from top cycling cities such as Seville in Spain and Utrecht in the Netherlands. Nothing is impossible if we put our mind to it. CHAN JER PING Ampang