KUALA LUMPUR: The proposal to ban small motorcycles, or kap chais, from entering the city centre has sparked outrage among those who ride such machines, not only to earn a living, but also to move about.
The proposal was described as illogical as many in the city used kap chais as their main mode of transportation.
Despatch clerk Fadzrul Syafiq Mohd Sufian, 29, said prohibiting such motorcycles from entering the city would affect the livelihood of many people.
“Not all Malaysians can afford high-performance motorcycles or cars. If they say the move is to reduce carbon emissions, then they should ban lorries and buses as well,” he said.
He said as a despatch clerk, he needed to enter the city at least five times a day to deliver documents.
“Many people use my service as they want to save time.
“Whoever came up with this proposal needs to think this through before they proceed with the plan.”
Mokhsin Zamani, 30, who rides a motorcycle to work, disagreed with the proposal as he said small motorcycles emit less carbon monoxide compared with lorries and buses because it uses petrol.
“It is convenient for me to commute by motorcycle to avoid getting caugh in traffic. Small motorcycles are easy to manoeuvre.”
Mohd Khairul Fikri Osman, 30, who commutes by motorcycle, said kap chais were the best option to move about the city centre as it is inexpensive.
“Trains are helpful, but connectivity is still very much lacking.
“With motorcycles, we can plan our journey to avoid wasting time,” he said.
Environmentalist Andrew Sebastian said he agreed that the government must look at holistic ways to curb pollution from every sector.
He said any move to curb noise or pollution from motorcycles must be followed with similar action against commercial vehicles and cars.
“We must also help low-income individuals and families to use cleaner public transportation and even convert their vehicles to run more efficiently, if necessary,” he said, adding that the proposal was one of the first steps that must be taken.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was yesterday quoted by an English daily as saying that small motorcycles might be prohibited from entering the city centre to reduce carbon emissions once public transportation was available at a reasonable price.