Cycling In Big Cities

About four years ago, I went to visit a good friend in Australia. While we were cruising along on a freeway, I noticed some signs on the side.

They were warnings to car drivers, to watch out for cyclists. And indeed, there was a lane on the freeway, dedicated to bicycles.

I thought that was brilliant.

But Australia is not alone in recognising the importance of various types of transportation.

I recently discovered that London has introduced the concept of renting a bicycle to get you to your destination.

These bikes are rented out using an Oyster card (the main form of transaction for London transportation -- trains, buses etc) from any available stand and dropped off at the stand of your destination.

Apart from the fact that these bicycles reduce the number of cars on the road, which means there is less congestion, there is no fuel needed to power them apart from leg power (fuelled by fish & chips, maybe?).

And if you've had too much fish & chips, this is going to break down the build-up of cholesterol in your arteries.

Now, the weather can get a bit overwhelming in Kuala Lumpur especially at mid day, but this isn't a bad idea for getting around.

After all, we don't have a water shortage. It is always possible to have a shower at the end of the day.

We Need Bicycle Lanes Too

An Indonesian ex-colleague of mine once mentioned in passing that we Malaysians expect to be dropped off at the doorstep of our destination. That's why we drive everywhere in our prized little cars.

It's true.

I realise a portion of Malaysians dislike walking and thus sweating (God forbid we release a drop of fluid from our glands!!). But another portion dislikes dying.

And yes, given our lack of proper facilities (like sidewalks and bridges) for pedestrians, we could easily get run over by a truck or bus, you know, and die!


But you know what I really like about Australia?

They have special lanes for their cyclists - even on the highway!

They encourage people to use renewable energy (calories) instead of non-renewable forms of energy like petrol. This is a country that is sincere in its efforts to go green.

Now when do you expect to see that in Malaysia?

51 Ideas For A Better Malaysia - #4

Updated!*

I was tagged by Michelle Yoon of I Am Malaysian about a week ago to participate in this blogger initiative started by Nizam Bashir.

The idea behind this initiative is to come up with 51 ideas on how to make a better Malaysia, with one blogger posting one idea per week.

This week, it is my turn to come up with:

IDEA #4: Courtesy On The Road

I am predominantly a socio-political blogger. Most of my posts are dedicated to either criticising the political system or highlighting instances of gross power abuse within the government.

Nevertheless, I couldn't conceive a single idea that was political in nature which hasn't been hashed out in some blog or the other.

And sometime last week, I stumbled upon it. The idea I was looking for, one I could completely identify with, though it wasn't the least bit political in nature.

You see, I get stuck in the traffic jam everyday, going to work, and on occasion while driving home. My commute is approximately a 50km distance one way, so I do spend a lot of time on the road.

I could blame the government for not building or implementing an adequate road system, including traffic lights, the timing etc.

And when they do in fact build new highways, they slap on a gargantuan amount of money on the driver and call it 'toll'. It's rather interesting, we pay a lot of tax, but we also pay for toll.

And with the recent, drastic reductions in fuel subsidy, I have yet to see any improvements being made on our public transportation system, which would ease the number of cars on the roads.

We need a change of government quite badly. The government doesn't even bother to hide the fact that it is steeped in corruption.

But it wasn't my intention to wax lyrical about the government. We need to work on them later, but for now, it's what we can and need to do when we're on the road.

Firstly, we need to follow the rules of the road. Emergency lanes are for emergencies. Two-lane roads are for, well... two neat lanes of cars. But not where I live.

During heavy traffic, the two-lane road miraculously transforms itself into four lanes. I kid you not. People ignore traffic lights and push their way through with no regard for oncoming traffic.

By the time I pass that disorderly mess of traffic, I'm usually in a foul and aggressive mood. I refuse to give way to any car signalling its intention to come into my lane.

And I humbly admit that I hate what I have become.

So if firstly, we need to obey road rules, then secondly, we need to bend our norms. Instead of refusing to let drivers into my lane, I'm going to stop or slow down to let them in.

And if I'm the one allowed in, I will wave my gratitude.

Now I know I'm going beyond the limits of what the Malaysian public, especially those living in Kuala Lumpur are used to.

It is entirely possible that drivers on the road will be so shocked at seeing me wave at them, that they may crash their car into the curb.

I may be singularly responsible for the most number of traffic accidents in one day due to a severe shock reaction from unsuspecting drivers in my path.

Who knows, maybe I might even get thrown under the Internal Security Act for being a threat to public safety (and thereby, achieve international fame). :)

Jokes aside, this whole road courtesy thing has to be give-and-take.

Once in a fit of reckless kindness about a year ago, I allowed a driver who had been waiting for a while at an intersection to turn into my crawling lane, jammed with traffic. I even gestured the invitation like some waiter of an upscale restaurant.

Folks. You have no idea how pleased the dude was. He beamed a smile and waved (I nearly had an accident from the shock of seeing a wave) and after that was so unbelievably courteous on the road with other drivers.

He even let a lady enter into his lane, who promptly smiled back at him. If the situation got anymore sweeter, I'd have had to make a trip to the dentist. ;-)

But I thought it was wonderful that for that day, I had initiated the courtesy and the good feelings that followed.

*Updated: Next nominated for pulling out a great idea is Patricia of The English Cottage, a site which is as cosy as it sounds! :)

Protesting The Fuel Price Hike

I was disappointed at Sunday's PROTES rally.

Firstly, the atmosphere was one akin to some pesta or festival.

Protests, demonstrations or rallies are not meant to be confined to stadiums. They are meant for the streets - to raise awareness and to provoke thought (not violence).

This one seemed more like a private pity-party.

Not that I don't endorse the sentiment behind it. I do. Very much.

I am proud that the organisers had the gumption to stand up and speak their minds instead of being cowered by the government.

And oh, how the government tried to intimidate. Both the NST and TheStar carried reports on security being beefed in anticipation of a violent demonstration.

In Malaysia, if an anti-government demonstration turns violent, it's usually the government agent provocateurs that instigate trouble.

But this time all was calm. Even the police presence was (almost disappointingly) low-key.

An aside, I usually judge the potential impact of an event based on the police presence. If the government (and subsequently, police) think the message is barely reaching out to the masses, it ignores the protest/rally/demonstration.

I don't know if people were indeed intimidated by the tabloid (mainstream media wannabes) spin.

Because that leads me to the second reason why I was so disappointed - there were so few people there! (Though I'm sure there were more than whatever it is that the tabloids have claimed).

Seriously, people. Have you decided to resign yourselves to being screwed by the government?

Evidently a few Malaysians wrote emails to Michael Backman complaining about the reduce in fuel subsidy and asked him to write a column attacking it.

He did just the opposite.

I did a brief google check to see how many Malaysians had copied his article (like they have with many of his previous articles in the past) to their blog, verbatim. The answer: None.

Obviously, it wasn't a very popular sentiment.

I find himself agreeing with most of his points, but I have my reservations on some - notably, his suggestion on what the government should do with the money:

Of course, one thing the Malaysian Government should now do with the billions it will save on a reduced subsidy is to improve public transport infrastructure.

Now where have I heard of this before?

The previous fuel price hike, no?

Have we seen much improvement in our public transportation system? Do we see better connectivity between the suburbs and satellite cities to the central business district?

No, you say???

Hell, our transportation may be cheap.

I've travelled through almost 10 countries in Europe and can attest to that fact after paying (what seemed to be) through my nose.

Munich, as I recall, was the worst. I paid €8 (RM40) for a trip that would probably cost me RM2.50 here.

But people in Munich don't earn what we do.

People in Munich wouldn't stand in the cramped, sardine-packed LRT cabins that we do.

People in Munich don't stand ages on dusty roads waiting for the bus to finally arrive.

I can appreciate that we are not Munich. We are not Singapore. We are Malaysia.

We need that goddamn "improvement in public transport infrastructure" more than anything else. But our interests are not necessarily those of the government.

The people who represent our government are more interested in personal gain.

They are pretending to pay out fuel rebates to citizens while emptying national coffers.

They are buying luxury yachts, private jets and lovely mansions in Australia.

Now if that fuel subsidy is reduced, that money is not going to go into improving public transport infrastructure. It will go straight into someone's pocket.

And that is Malaysia's fate. We find ourselves in this cesspool purely out of our own doing (or lack of it).

Apathy.

Have We Reached Boiling Point?

I am suggesting no riot - God forbid something like that happen.

But I would hope to all hopes that a few, at least a few Malaysians would finally say the magic word: ENOUGH.

And yes, enough is enough.

In fact, it is more than enough.

Malaysia is in a mess like it has never been before.


There has not been a time when corruption was this blatant and rampant, in spite of the promises of eradicating (or at least attempting to) it.

Sadly, the attempts were so feeble that the corrupt and wicked among us have been emboldened.

The people have been threatened. The bloggers. The dissenters. The lawyers. Even the Supreme Ruler, our Agong has not been spared from rebuke for refusing to renew the appointment of the Chief Justice.

WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DEMAND CHANGE.

And we need change like we never have before.

Everyday, we citizens get up early in the morning to face the traffic jam. The traffic jam caused by the lack of proper roads systems. Lack of proper train transportation networks.

Why?

Because the money that has been allocated in the transportation budget has gone to pay for items at ludicrously expensive prices. Or to pay for someone's unnecessary overseas, factoring all the even more unnecessary consorts.

But, you're still paying tax. Except you're not getting the value for the service that you're paying for.

You probably get out of that traffic jam only to head straight for the toll booth where you fork out some hard earned cash to travel on roads that aren't all that great to begin with. The prices will increase in the very near future.

If the jam wasn't too bad, you head straight for the parking lot of your office. If not, make a detour at the petrol station to fill up that ageing Proton of yours that guzzles petrol like some old drunk during Happy Hour.

You think that hurts your pocket? The prices will increase in the very near future.

I don't need to remind you that the process repeats itself after work, of course.

Things will not change unless YOU decide it should.

Unless you decide that you want reform. For yourself, for your spouse and children, for your parents, for your friends and those you love.

You can make a difference.

You can initiate the change by letting the right people know you want it.

By gathering at Dataran Merdeka to march to the Istana Negara. By sacrificing one afternoon. Just one.

Think about your money.

Think about your time.

Think about your future.

Additional Trains On Putraline LRT

Some good news about our public transport system, finally.

Looks like we're getting some new trains for either the Putraline or Starline.

From Reuters: Bombardier gets added $100 mln rail order from Malaysia

(Reuters) - Bombardier Inc. (BBDb.TO: Quote) said it, along with a Malaysian partner, received an additional order for 52 commuter trains valued at about $100 million from Malaysian state infrastructure firm Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad.

Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad is a 100% government-owned company which was set up to own STAR-LRT, Putra-LRT and Rapid-KL after deeming them as failed privatisation projects.

Bombardier's Malaysian partner is Hartasuma Sdn Bhd in case anyone was wondering.

This is interesting, because the Putraline, which is apparently the longest fully automated, driverless transit system in Asia, was initially due to receive 88 advanced rapid transit (ART) MK II cars - earliest in September 2008.

The original agreement included options for 52 additional cars, which has now obviously been taken. Should all options be exercised, the entire contract would total 140 cars.

That's a huge addition.

I wonder if this is only for the Putraline or if it extends to the STARline. It would obviously have to be a different configuration as the Putra is driverless, while the STAR is manned.