JANUARY 13 ― According to the World Bank’s 2015 Malaysia Economic Report, traffic congestion in Greater Kuala Lumpur was estimated to cost around US$3-7 billion or RM13-31 billion (1-2 per cent of the country’s GDP) in 2014.

With 93 per cent of Malaysian households owning at least one car, this high cost of traffic is inevitable. Usually, public transport would be the typical answer by most people to avoid traffic jams.

However, an alternative worth considering is cycling.

In Malaysia, there is certainly no lack of awareness on cycling as a sport. Our country has hosted Tour de Langkawi, a multi-stage bicycle race sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) annually since 1996.

The successes of Azizulhasni Awang in world competitive cycling have also thrust cycling into the spotlight as a way to bring sporting glory to our country.

Just like how some of us were inspired to play badminton by Datuk Lee Chong Wei’s success in the international arena, there are many who have caught the cycling fever after our country’s success in track cycling.

There are also various popular spots in the Klang Valley such as Desa Parkcity Central Park, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), and the Perdana Botanical Garden where you can cycle recreationally. If you’re feeling adventurous, Bukit Kiara is the place to go for mountain biking.

Rise of national automobile companies and traffic congestion

Cycling used to be a popular mode of transport in Malaysia, up until the 80s. However, rapid urbanisation and the rise of national automobile companies meant that the bicycle was relegated to just being an equipment for exercise or competitive purposes.

Cars became popular and were regarded as a symbol of wealth as car manufacturers strived to infuse this “need-a-car” mentality into the heads of the masses.

People loved the mobility their cars offered. Soon, cars were perceived to be a necessity rather than a want. With car usage surging at an alarming rate, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable traffic congestions became road gridlocks, thus decreasing mobility instead. This is a “tragedy of the commons”, a situation where individuals acting independently and according to their self-interest behave in ways contrary to the best interest of the whole society by depleting a common resource. In this case, the common resource is traffic flow on roads.

Resurgence in popularity of cycling

In response to traffic congestions as well as petroleum price hikes in recent years, cycling has regained some popularity. Recently, there have been concerted efforts by avid cyclists calling for bicycle lanes on roads. Here are a few examples:

* Kota Kinabalu: The Kota Kinabalu City Hall created a 7 kilometre green cycling lane in the city but it is shared with pedestrians.

* Penang: The state government spent RM30 million building a 12 kilometre bicycle route along the coastal roads of Penang Island.

* Shah Alam: The Shah Alam City Council constructed a 10 kilometre dedicated bike lane as part of its efforts to connect small parks, schools and the city centre.

* Kuala Lumpur: A 5.5 kilometre bicycle lane connecting Dataran Merdeka and Mid Valley City was completed in April 2015, with two more bicycle path projects in the pipeline.

Apart from these bicycle lanes, major cycling events such as Cycleasia Kuala Lumpur and Mega Ride Festival in Johor help to further promote the idea of cycling on roads. The large turnout at these events send a message to city planners that there is a demand for better cycling infrastructure.

Both Penang and Kuala Lumpur have car-free Sundays, where roads in these cities are designated to be traffic-free for several hours to allow cyclists, joggers, and the public in general to roam without the fear of being knocked down by cars or motorcyclists. This happens every Sunday in Penang and the first and third Sunday of each month in Kuala Lumpur.

Cycling as a means of transport and its problems

Generally, most city dwellers would not even consider cycling as an alternative way to travel. After all, why should people cycle when they have a car?

The barrier most people face before taking the plunge to cycle alongside traffic is safety fears. When cycling, there are always the occasional encounters with difficult junctions or heavy goods vehicles. This is often the sentiment shared by many people and it is not limited to Malaysians only. Bicycle lanes tackle this problem by creating a safe zone for cyclists.

Unfortunately, these cycle lanes are still few and far between.

There is also the issue of weather to contend with in our country. The hot and humid condition is a deterrent for those who want to cycle. No person would like to arrive at work in sweat-drenched clothing, which presents comfort and odour issues.

Overcoming the hurdles

If we are serious in making cycling a true alternative to driving, there are several ways to encourage people to cycle.

One simple way is to allow foldable bicycles on trains. There are already plans to do so on LRTs during off-peak hours. Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Inter-City trains also allow foldable bicycles to be brought on it.

Further improvements that can be done would be to allow foldable bicycles on the LRT during peak hours as well, but with a limited number of bicycles at any time. This will encourage people to cycle to the nearest LRT station from their homes.

More cycle lanes, bicycle parking, proper signs and shower facilities should also be constructed to encourage cycling to work. These can be centred around LRT stations in the initial stages, before expanding into office buildings.

It helps if cyclists can come up with a crowd-sourced map detailing accessibility of roads for cyclists. The founder of the crowd-sourced map Jeffrey Lim was consulted by Kuala Lumpur’s mayor and it culminated in the completion of the 5.5 kilometre bicycle lane from Dataran Merdeka to Mid Valley City in Kuala Lumpur.

We can have the best infrastructure and yet yield no positive results unless there is a paradigm shift. For this to happen, information dissemination has to be correct and efficient. Any developments on cycling-related infrastructures must be conveyed to the public so that they are in the know.

Coupled with the promotion of cycling as a way to save money and be healthy at the same time, this will hopefully produce encouraging results to the people and the traffic.

At the end of the day, cycling is still not a viable way to travel. However, all major changes begin with small, simple steps. I urge everyone, especially those who have an old bicycle hidden somewhere at home, to give it a try.

Incorporate cycling into your short travels and voice any dissatisfactions regarding the suitability of the roads for cyclists. It will bring our cities one step (or pedal, in our case) closer to emulating Amsterdam as the world’s cycling capital.

*This article was written by an Associate Editor from CEKU, the editorial arm of the United Kingdom and Eire Council of Malaysian Students (UKEC).

**This is the personal opinion of the columnist.