KL a bike-friendly city how so...? ask urban cyclists

KUALA LUMPUR: The plan to make Kuala Lumpur a 'bicycle-friendly city' was hatched in 2012 but yet four years down the road nothing much seems to have been done in cyclists' favour.
The idea came from former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and current minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor who were determined to implement it.
However, following a case recently, in which a courier's bicycle was impounded by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), some cyclists questioned the government's plan in realising the 'bike-friendly city' idea.
They pointed out that Kuala Lumpur lacked facilities for bicycles, putting cyclists in a quandary whenever they had to look for a proper or secure space to park.
This, lamented cycling enthusiasts, certainly did not reflect the city's 'friendliness' towards them.
Khirunnizam Mohd Lani, who was spotlighted in the media after claiming that DBKL needlessly damaged his RM3,000 bicycle when they impounded it, pleaded for the local authority to have more regard for cyclists' welfare.
"My bicycle is my main mode of transport to earn a living as a courier and there are no appropriate parking spaces for bicycles in Kuala Lumpur. So I don't see KL as being bicycle-friendly," he told Bernama when contacted.
The bicycle messenger said more bicycle parking facilities and lanes should be built if DBKL was really serious about portraying KL as a bike-friendly city'.
On Feb 13 night, Khirunnizam chained his Bombtrack Arise bicycle to a bus stop railing to do his delivery rounds but found it missing upon returning.
He found that DBKL had impounded and carted it away for causing obstruction in a public place.
After paying the compound, he went to collect his bicycle from a storage depot in Taman Miharja and was shocked to find that it was badly damaged.
Cyclist Aedewan Adnan, 37, supported Khirunnizam's call to DBKL, saying he also preferred to use his bicycle to go to his workplace in Kuala Lumpur from his home in Shah Alam.
He acknowledged the government's efforts to build a bicycle path from Jalan Jelatek to Mid Valley, and the 'KL Carfree Morning' programme held twice a month, but stressed building bicycle parking spaces should be a priority.
Another bicycle messenger, Shakir Lokman, 27, said any action by DBKL to impound a bicycle without notifying the owner was unfair.
He said he had been cycling to his workplace in Bukit Bintang from his home in Cheras for seven years.
He noted that based on Khirunnizam's experience, no notice or summons was issued to let the owner know that his bicycle had been impounded.
"Thankfully, a food truck operator told him what happened. If there had been no witness, how was Khirunnizam to know? It was really unfair," he said.
According to a mainstream media report yesterday, DBKL admitted causing damage to Khirunnizam's bicycle when it was seized on Monday.
City Hall in its Facebook said it happened when the enforcement officer tried to cut the lock on the bicycle.
DBKL could not be reached for comment when contacted. — Bernama