By Carol Leong
Malaysia wishes to emulate developed countries that do not use motorcycles as taxis, says Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, in reply to a question raised in Parliament.
He is reported to have said: “We want to head towards a developed country. We want to emulate developed cities like Singapore, Japan, Britain and the United States.
“In these countries, there are no motorcycle taxis”.
This is one of the reasons motorcycle taxi service provider, Dego Ride has been banned.
It is wishful thinking that by emulating developed countries, we will automatically become one, without having to help the poorer section of our society to get out of the low-income trap.
As long as more than half of our population have to struggle for a living, we will remain a developing country, no matter how impressive the per capita statistics may be.
As such, cheap motorcycle rides to and from train and bus stations are the best way for the lower-income group to save money and time commuting to work.
Riding pillion on a motorcycle taxi is no more dangerous than riding pillion on a private motorcycle. If the risks are so great, then the ban should be extended to all motorcycles.
We can start with those that carry more than one pillion rider, and riders who are children so small their legs dangle in the air as they hang on for dear life.
People living in the cities of Japan, Britain, United States and the city state of Singapore do not need to own vehicles as they have easy access to public transport.
If they choose to own a vehicle, most will buy a car. In Malaysia, however, half of us can only afford a motorcycle, and on hire-purchase at that.
For the poor who continue to suffer with no end in sight, a few ringgit and an hour of time saved can make a big difference in their lives.
But if we think practical matters are unimportant and prefer instead to fantasise about becoming a developed nation one day, the welfare of Malaysians in the low-income group will not be improving anytime soon.
Perhaps we think that by not allowing motorcycle taxi services, we will be better than Bangkok and Jakarta. This is nothing more than “syiok sendiri” thinking.
To survive during hard times, we need to get real. Go out there and see how riders and passengers deprived of motorcycle taxi services are faring.
Those providing motorcycle taxi services can easily be trained to become exemplary riders and inspire other motorcyclists to the same along the way.
Companies such as Dego Ride could be granted a conditional licence, which would compel them to immediately suspend the rider upon receiving a complaint.
The riders can also have video cameras fitted on the front and rear of their motorcycles to serve as the eyes of the authorities and help curb traffic offences and snatch thefts.
They can ride as proudly as any enforcement officer while contributing to public security and general safety, and the productivity of their passengers.
Motor vehicles are double-edged swords, which can be used for or against us.
Some Malaysians think all motor vehicles should be banned, as an average 20 people die daily in road accidents.
Others think all motorcycles should be banned, as 68% of road deaths are motorcyclists and pillion riders.
Bans are popular with our authorities because they are easy to accomplish. They think that a problem can be made to go away without realising its implications.
Instead of making things better for our country, it is a simplistic solution for those who prefer not to have to put on their thinking caps.
Carol Leong is an FMT reader
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