Cycling

Cyclists disagree with Miros on proposals

MEMBERS of the cycling community feel that the call for licensing and number plates by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) is not the solution to the road safety issues faced by the sport.

Former state rider Sani Mohd Adnan, 53, said more importantly rider education and awareness campaigns are the key to improving safety across the board.

"When I began training under coach Datuk Ng Joo Ngan in the late 1980s, the situation was very different than it is today, the only cyclists who rode long distance at the time were state and club riders," said the former Kuala Lumpur rider.

"Riding etiquette is very important in cycling and those riding under clubs and state teams, including myself, were taught this from the very start.

"For example, we have to ride in a single file on narrow roads, we must know the proper hand and verbal signals to warn our group of any oncoming traffic or potholes .

"And the first and most important rule is to always look ahead.

"These are all important as one mistake can cause all riders in the group to crash, it can cause a chain reaction.

"Cycling has enjoyed a massive boom in popularity recently and unfortunately many of these new riders have not been given the right guidance. They mostly follow what they see on social media.

"I believe there must be an association or body to guide these new riders on road cycling etiquette.

"We should be conducting workshops and awareness campaigns. Licensing will not solve any problem."

Sani, who is currently a full-time bike mechanic, added that recent negative news regarding cycling, has to a certain degree, affected the public's acceptance of the sport.

The Police recently announced that cyclists found riding on highways could be fined as much as RM1,000 or jailed for up to three months.

"I was riding alone from my house in Puncak Alam to Assam Jawa (Kuala Selangor) on a trunk road, we all know we have to avoid highways, on a morning.

"Suddenly, a BMW drove up next to me and a person in the car wound down the window and was shouting at me.

"I couldn't exactly make out everything he said but it was likely about being fined RM1,000. Which was strange because I was riding on a trunk road and not a highway.

"It is like the public are against cyclists now which is very sad because cycling is a sport which promotes a healthy lifestyle.

"In Europe, certain cities such as Amsterdam have more cyclists than motorists and their government promotes cycling because it also helps save the environment as we burn less fossil fuels."

Former Forca Amskins continental team rider Hafidz Hamid echoed Sani's sentiments but added that safety features on bikes should also be made a requirement.

"I don't think that licensing and number plates are practical because a lot of people own more than one bike," said Hafidz.

"If you have a mountain bike, folding bike, road bike and time trial bike — which all have different uses — how do you classify them?

"You can't expect people, who are mostly riding for leisure and health purposes, to have one licence and plate for each bike.

"Instead of licensing, I believe that safety features such as blinking lights for front and rear of the bike as well as helmets should be made mandatory."

Prior to becoming an elite competitive rider, Hafidz was a keen touring bike rider and had once cycled from the United Kingdom to Malaysia.

The 28-year-old believes that Malaysia could learn a lot from the more developed cycling countries.

"When I cycled from the UK to Malaysia, I was never once asked for a licence to cycle on the roads in Europe. What they made clear was that we were not allowed to cycle on highways," added Hafidz.

"This was not a problem as the majority of countries in Europe have cycling lanes. We only have cycling lanes in certain areas in the city here in Malaysia.

"I don't see the benefit of introducing licensing from a safety aspect.

"If they want to make money, the authorities should create a cycling park, which is a concept that is already popular in other countries, and charge money.

"Such a park already exists in Thailand while in Australia, some smaller motorsport circuits allow cyclists to use them for a specific time of the day when it is not being used for motorsports.

"Cyclists here are more than willing to pay a small fee to cycle in a safe, controlled environment without the presence of motorised vehicles," said Hafidz who operates Velo Cafe in Seri Kembangan, a restaurant which offers healthy food for cyclists.

The Sports Ministry recently announced they will be holding engagement sessions with the cycling fraternity and the relevant authorities to discuss safety issues.

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