There are over 13 million motorbikes registered as of 2026 in Malaysia. And 1.6 million of them are gig workers, crisscrossing our roadways delivering food and goods at any one time.
But our roadways have not developed with improvements to safeguard motorcyclists, unfortunately.
Left without dedicated motorcycle lanes, the bikers survive at high risk doing lane splitting mavericks daily.
Even emergency lanes are being converted into ‘smart lanes’ thereby robbing motorcyclists of the little safe routes found along highways.
A country that is often at the mercy of sudden thunderstorms perennially has forgotten to provide adequate shelters for the vulnerable motorcyclists.
They are left taking desperate cover from downpours under flyovers risking being slammed by lorries that often are notoriously found to suffer from ‘brake failures’ in this country.
Worst is these flyover shelters are also prone to poor drainage, exposing the motorcyclists to ungenerous splashes of dirty water caused by inconsiderate, speeding motorists.
Town planners have failed. Developers have chosen to give scant attention to motorcyclists. The government remains silent on this much neglected safety need.
So if you see motorcyclists ‘terrorising’ roadways with their fight for survival given the absence of right of way, it is understandable.
Then there is this unavailability of adequate parking bays for motorcyclists too. And if there are, it is always uncovered plus deems very much like a token minimum number of lots are provided.
And many of the tightly squeezed parking lots are dangerously carved out along main roads or buildings posing immense entry and egress dangers.
Would our Members of Parliament want to address this critical negligence? – May 15, 2026
J. D Lovrenciear is a Scoop reader