Comments on: Come down hard on reckless motorcyclists http://twosen.com/2008/02/25/come-down-hard-on-reckless-motorcyclists/ Current issues, feedback & complaints on public services in Malaysia Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:23:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Peter Yew http://twosen.com/2008/02/25/come-down-hard-on-reckless-motorcyclists/#comment-1058 Peter Yew Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:00:58 +0000 http://twosen.com/2008/02/25/come-down-hard-on-reckless-motorcyclists/#comment-1058 The Federal Highway I knew in the 1970s was so much less clogged with traffic that it was acceptable for it to be used by motorcycles as well as heavy vehicles. 30 years later, the Federal Highway has become so chocked with all sorts of vehicles (at certain stretches) that having motorcycles on it is not only dangerous to the road users but downright unhealthy. It is also true that motorcycles tend to occupy road space as though they are lords and couldn't bother about their safety. I think enforcement is not practical. The solution is a total ban of 2-wheelers off busy stretches of highways. It may be unpopular but for the sake of smooth, safe and hassle free driving, motorcyles should be confined to dedicated lanes. Because there are a sizeable number of them, the government, if they have the interest of the poorer cirizens at heart, must always design motorcyle lanes for them. It is a poor excuse to say there is no land because it show a lack of foresight. In China, cities have dedicated bicycle lanes so I don't understand why we cannot follow the same practice for motorcycles here. It is a matter of willpower and creativeness to solve an ongoing problem. The Federal Highway I knew in the 1970s was so much less clogged with traffic that it was acceptable for it to be used by motorcycles as well as heavy vehicles. 30 years later, the Federal Highway has become so chocked with all sorts of vehicles (at certain stretches) that having motorcycles on it is not only dangerous to the road users but downright unhealthy. It is also true that motorcycles tend to occupy road space as though they are lords and couldn’t bother about their safety.

I think enforcement is not practical. The solution is a total ban of 2-wheelers off busy stretches of highways. It may be unpopular but for the sake of smooth, safe and hassle free driving, motorcyles should be confined to dedicated lanes. Because there are a sizeable number of them, the government, if they have the interest of the poorer cirizens at heart, must always design motorcyle lanes for them. It is a poor excuse to say there is no land because it show a lack of foresight. In China, cities have dedicated bicycle lanes so I don’t understand why we cannot follow the same practice for motorcycles here. It is a matter of willpower and creativeness to solve an ongoing problem.

]]>