Bicycle service could be last-mile connection

THE launch of bicycle-sharing services ( pic) in our urban community will, in my opinion, contribute to the resolution of the last-mile problem in our public transport services. Looking at the current scenario, the introduction of this service is most timely.

How people respond to this bicycle-sharing service, which is available in other Asean countries like Thailand and Singapore as well, remains to be seen but it certainly is a positive move in addressing the urban traffic problems.

I personally think bicycle-sharing services like Mobike would be welcomed by residents’ associations and commuters. The real concern is whether the basic infrastructure to support cycling is in place, like designated cycling paths, wide side roads and proper sidewalks.

One of the most unexplored avenues to maximise MRT/LRT ridership is improved connectivity to the stations. This issue has been brought up by residents associations and well-meaning commentators on a regular basis.

Take Puchong as an example; it would be interesting to study the impact on the traffic situation here if there is a bicycle-sharing service available to transport residents in the area to LRT stations, 6, 7 and 8, where level of ridership is said to be below expectation. It has been noted that these stations are usually empty during non-peak periods. Connectivity to these stations from the neighbouring housing estates is notably inadequate.

If we study the traffic situations in many countries today, we would see clearly that cycling fits in very well in high-density populations in urban areas. Besides being toll-free and environmentally friendly, cycling also promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Cycling as an alternative mode of transport has been neglected for far too long in our country. The respective authorities have not really done enough to address this vital issue even though Kuala Lumpur City Hall has started some initiatives.

According to a reliable traffic survey, we are third in the world for highest car ownership and we also have the highest incidence of multiple car ownership with 54% of households having more than one car.

The introduction of the bicycle-sharing service is timely and, in my opinion, there could not be a better alternative to solving the twin problems of traffic congestion on the road and less-thanexpected level of ridership on the MRT/LRT.