In an effort to save lives of motorcycle riders and pillion passengers across the nation, a call has gone out for segregated motorcycle lanes to be built. This was said by social activist and Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye in a press statement, appealing for the government to build such lanes on grounds of safety.
Praising the recent amendment to the law imposing heavier penalties on those convicted of drunk driving resulting in an accident, he lamented that no attention was paid to the issue of road safety, especially concerning motorcyclists. “This proposal concerns the safety of motorcyclists, the most vulnerable category of road users to crashes, particularly fatal ones that have claimed thousands of lives of Malaysians and mostly in the youth age group,” Lee said.
In his proposal, Lee called upon the government to include construction of such motorcycle lanes especially on highways and city streets as part of the 12th Malaysia Plan, scheduled for next year. “The best example of such live-saving lanes is certainly along both flanks of the Federal Highway stretching from Petaling Jaya to Shah Alam and up to Klang,” said Lee.
“The Federal Highway is, without doubt, one of the busiest with traffic virtually round-the-clock but according to statistics, an average of only two fatal crashes involving motorcycles has been recorded annually,” Lee continued. Lee also called for motorcycles to be speed limited saying, “a law has to be enacted to reduce the speed limit of motorcycles from the existing motorcycling culture where riders are by and large speeding at their whim and fancy and with impunity.”
Lee also called upon the Transport Ministry and police to restrict motorcyclists to the left lane of highways and roads, demarcating a lane for their use with double white lines. “In this way, the two-wheelers are barred from riding on the fast lanes competing for space with the bigger vehicles, which is obviously the main cause for the horrific high death tolls among motorcyclists and pillion riders,” Lee elaborated, adding this approach should lead to fully segregated lanes for motorcycles.
“The Alliance for a Safe Community views these measures as highly doable, practical and above all, are not rocket science without the necessity of further research into its pros and cons. It is pure common sense,” said Lee. Noting the increase in the number of motorcyclists, Lee said it is all the more imperative the government implements this programme.
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Is Mr. Lee Lam Thye a motorcyclist?
Have he experienced riding a motorcycle on the highway in the slow lane at the speed limit of 110kph and being overtaken by large trailers and express busses?
Look at the culprits first. By law no heavy vehicle on the highway should be driving more than 80kph, but there is no such thing in reality.
Anyway I do not want someone who is not a motorcyclist to dictate what is good and what is bad for motorcyclists.
Highway was mean for heavy and the heaviest vehicle. Motor should not even be considered into the freeway. Most country do not allow little motorcycle to travel along highway. Korea, Japan, China, most USA states etc. Without motorcycle the accident death rate will go down drastically.
what that has to do with malaysian heavy vehicles and express busses constantly flouting the heavy vehicles 80kmh maximum speed limits?
korea japan china usa bans slow scooters on highway that is 50cc and below. Almost all malaysian motorcycles can stay at the 110kph speed limit on the highway.
That is not true. Most kapcai if they carry a pillion rider , they are slow as a tortoise. And they lose the agility bcoz of the weight. Most road hoggers on highways are these kapcai with 2 ppl or more .
And as a town planner, the FT Minister scrapping motorcycle lane in Putrajaya for bicycle lane.
Better to scrap it anyways. Now it turns into de factor parking lots for cars double parking. Totally unusable for motors anyway.
I would like to point out to the honourable Mr Lee, what he proposes to do about the motorcyclist who ride against traffic just to save a few metre of travel? The food delivery riders that zoom around recklessly to save a few minutes? What is he doing about that?
honestly the same apply to car drivers only with different sets of problem..our motorist have attitude problem and thats a fact
I totally agree with government should provide the bike lane for biker and should be separated from car lane. I wish to see the plan soon.
reality is bike lanes are more dangerous than usual roads. I dono if you ride bike or not but if you do try federal road bike lane than you will know how dangerous killer road it was.
Dangerous or not dangerous doesnt make.a difference. It is attitude problem of motorcyclist. Kesas bike lane is pretty safe yet i still see bikes on the car lane. Hogging the road mcm bapak punya.
hogging? how a motorbike can hogging a lane in highways? you always have right lane to overtake. I also wonder how a motorbike can hogging kl/selangor roads when the roads are always jam. I see bikers always ride on their most left hand side of the road. Hogging my foot.
Everyone is mature enough to know that, but some still using the highway especially the CUP CHAI. Who to blame? Currently have motor lane and no-one use. Car always at fault when have an accident with motor. How many time motorcyclist get away with it. Can we claim their insurance if is their fault? Some don’t even have insurance.
Try ride a cubchai on a bike lane first, then comeback talk. We don’t really want to ride alongside car but if the upcoming bike lane is anything like the current one, don’t expect much to change
I don’t get, is he asking for totally separate motor lanes as in Fed Highway or cut out the highway left lane for motor use?
Tan Sri Lee,before going further..lets talk about the behaviour of errant bikers.Today if u travel at the federal Highway,u can see these bikers zooming in and out,overtaking from the left,hogging the fast lane,and banging your boot if u “ganggu” them by needing to switch lanes ,even with ample signaling.
There is already a dedicated motorcycle lane for donkey years for them.
Whats the point of spending more rakyat’s taxes to build more lanes,which they dont want to use?
It makes more sense to beef up enforcement to nab and punish those dangerous motorists who couldnt give a damn whether other road
users are vulnerable to their “fast and furious “driving.
Perhaps,u could use your good influence to get Datuk Wee Ka siong to beef up a haphazard sporadic enforcement, thats what the public perceive.The rakyat want road safety,not more taxation.
agree with YB Albert, i commute on federal highway daily, these errant bikers just dont bother using the bike lane….
If i drive a madmax truck, i will makan them alive. See who still dare to come near my madmax…hahahah
Idea is good. But look at Putrajaya itself – where it has about 80% of highways in it has bike lanes but zero usage.
my opinion, wrong timing. I’m rider and driver. for now rakyat dah susah, pandemic ni dah buat ramai hilang kerja. duit utk buat motor lanes akan telan berjuta-juta ringgit and yg untung colony. baik pakai duit tu tolong rakyat dulu, yg lane ni pospone lah.
should have, could have, would have provided bike lane, right?
After a few months, just left only habuk. Just wait and see.
Or maybe making the slow lane( left most lane) broader to accommodate motorcyclist.
I live in PJ and I don’t use Federal Highway when I ride. It gives me ‘tunnel’ vision. I’d rather use alternative route even if it is further to my destination.
if the condition of motorcycle lane is safe and accommodative to use, motorcyclist will sure use it. Make it at least 1 car lane wide, im sure it will be alot better and safer.
But amidst all these troubles that we are having now, the easiest and cheapest way to do is, to make the left lane exclusively for motorcycles. Done, no need extra budget.
Talking c*ck. Nowadays car also use Motorcycle lane la boss. Waste money dont know wanna spend where is it? Go fast kena, go slow kena. You car guys drive like hell, mivy become like supercar already, and seriously car users dont have awareness and ignorant, be it the youth or elderly. Putrajaya motorcycle ways not used know why? Because no maintenance and suddenly got blocked in the middle of the road, what for la brother. Kesas highway good maintenance ? For cars only I think. Federal Highway also like that and those toll sideways. Yes i admit, motorcyclist sometimes are rude, because they need to be, as everyday also facing road bullies and foolish, raging, egoistic, intolerant, full of bs no brain car drivers. Car bully can, motorcycle bully a bit then cannot. Jangan hati tisu la bang. That motorcycle kicking side of car issue also i did’nt get to see everyday, but the types of driver and road safety in Malaysia is a daily problem. The statement is also not a win win suggestion, some more with increased overall expenses. So don’t just implement something that only have little impact in your short period of sit in the government.