Health nuts rejoice! Cyclists now can bring their full-sized bicycles on board Kelana Jaya, Sri Petaling and Ampang Light Rail Transit (LRT) line trains on every first and third Sunday of each month.
Datuk Zohari Sulaiman, the chief executive of Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd stated that the time slot for cyclists to bring their normal bicycles onto trains is from 6am to 10am, which is the also the time as the KL Car Free Morning (KLCFM) program.
“We sincerely hope more cyclists will respond to this program, as we are strong supporters of a healthy lifestyle amongst Malaysians.”
“If the response is good, we are ready to extend the program further,” Datuk Zohari stated at the completion of the successful launch of the Bike and Ride program.
Interestingly enough, prior to the program, many people were unaware that you could bring a bike (a folding one) to the train station. In fact, some thought that it would cost more, when actually there is no extra charge for passengers bringing full-sized or folding bicycles on trains.
It’s likely that the main reason people are unaware of this is because cycling or walking to work, sometimes referred to as active commuting, is just not common here in Malaysia.
“We hope the program will help further enhance the ‘first mile and last mile’ connectivity and contribute to efforts to increase the public transport modal share, which is targeted at 40 per cent by 2030,” Datuk Zohari said.
Well that’s good. Maybe then it’ll put a dent in the nonstop congestion here at the city. Anddd possibly lower our ranks in the obesity charts!
Thinking of bringing your bicycle to the LRT? Make sure you are aware of these 5 simple rules.
- Rapid Rail only allows cyclists to carry their full-sized bicycles onto LRT trains on dedicated Sundays.
- Cyclists must always exercise caution and discretion when carrying the bike. Try not to accidentally ram your bicycle at a nearby makcik, or she’ll probably strangle you with your bicycle chain.
- If the trains are packed, don’t even think of forcing the bikes onto the trains. Seriously lah, don’t be that guy.
- The cyclists must also enter the trains from specific doors at the stations.
- For the Kelana Jaya line, cyclists are only allowed to board the four-car trains.
Feel like these rules are hard to follow? Considering on getting a folding bike instead? That might not be necessary. We reached out to a couple of cyclists and they said that even taking a folding bike on the LRT usually needs a combination of luck, patience and oodles of self-restrain to combat the irritated glares of other passengers.
So hopefully with this initiative, folding or full-sized bicycles on the train will be the norm. because truly, we as Malaysians should always embrace change that contributes to the betterment of individuals, as well as our country.
So if you’re looking for a way to squeeze in some exercise in your busy schedules, why not cycle to work sometimes? Not only are the health benefits staggering, it’s also a good way to cut down on the pollution in the environment.
So what do you think? will you start cycling or nah?
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