Malaysian highway concessionaires urged to provide facilities for big bike riders to reduce accident risk

A request has gone out from the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) asking highway concessionaires to provide and upgrade facilities for riders of high powered motorcycles. This is to reduce the risk of accidents and fatalities to riders says LLM chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias.

Jalaluddin said in a Berita Harian report several motorcycle lanes are unsafe for use by motorcycles with large displacement engines. “For example, there are motorcycle lanes in Penang and Ipoh where the entry is unsuitable for use by big bikes. This indirectly leads to the possibility of an accident occurring,” he said.

Aside from that, highway concessionaires should identify hot spots where motorcycle lanes need to be upgraded. Besides that, Jalaluddin also mentioned all highways should be monitored for cleanliness, lighting and the use of closed circuit television (CCTV) in the effort to increase highway user safety.

Malaysian highway concessionaires urged to provide facilities for big bike riders to reduce accident risk

“Many reported accidents occur during rainy periods after motorcyclists elect to take shelter under bridges. The latest incident saw three riders lose their lives after being struck by another vehicle while taking shelter last June 4,” added Jalaluddin. He said 200 fatal accidents involving riders on highways were recorded, along with 1,906 cases and serious injuries and 1,064 reports of light injuries.

This is not a new request from authorities for highway concessionaires to upgrade facilities for motorcyclists including two guidelines on motorcycle shelters and motorcycle lane geometry. In 2017, the Public Works Department (JKR) asked concessionaires to provide more motorcycle lanes, as well as building rain shelters based on the accident statistics for motorcyclists, a view echoed by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) in 2018.