Cycle the city, Kota Kinabalu tell its city folks

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By OLIVIA MIWIL - April 3, 2018 @ 1:16pm

KOTA KINABALU: Aside from keeping its people well-connected, authorities in the city are exploring means and ways to keep city folks active by opting for a bicycle as the means of transportation.

Kota Kinabalu City Hall Traffic and Public Transport Department director Kalvin Liaw said at present it has received 120 bicycles from private companies, which can be used by the public for free.

“Since the service started in April last year, we have had 826 people including associations and tourists from China, Taiwan, Japan and Peninsular Malaysia using our bicycles.

“For now, the public can borrow bicycles from our headquarters here,” he said, adding that as security measure, the public will have fill up a form and hand over their identity cards or passport, which will be returned once they return from their ride.

Liaw said that the “KK Free Ride” programme was the brainchild of mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai, who is also an avid cyclist, to encourage city folks to adopt a healthier lifestyle and to still be able to move around easily.

The local authority has also engaged tour agents to inform the public about the free service and hopes tourists to the state will bring home great memories of touring the city on a bicycle.

He said through cycling, it is easier to take in the sights, as cyclists can stop anywhere and at any time, compared to if one was stuck behind the wheels.

The city also currently has a dedicated bicycle lane from Tanjung Aru to the junction of Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

“The dedicated bicycle track is about 11 kilometres, but when we include additional lanes on the road it will be lengthened to 17 kilometres.

“In the future, we are planning to have bicycle lanes that are a metre wide,” he said.

This is pending discussions and funding among the relevant authorities. He also said that with bicycle lanes, other motorists will be alert to the fact that there are cyclists sharing the road too.

For now, the local authority has yet to face issues on bicycles obstructing pavements or being vandalised as some bicycle sharing company have experienced.

If there are more avid cyclists in the future, Liaw said authorities need to be prepared to ensure that the community is supported with amenities such as docking stations at hotels, parks and so forth.

The usage of safety gears especially at night, among the public is also essential.

So the plan to turn the city into a bicycle-friendly city could be an opportunity for businesses to rent out helmets, knee pads and reflective vests among others.