New lanes a good idea, say cyclists

Amirudin cycling with MBSA staff during the launch of the second cycling lane in Shah Alam.

IMPROVED connectivity and public transportation between housing and commercial areas has facilitated the introduction of the second dedicated bicycle lane in Shah Alam.

The blue bicycle lanes cover a 15km marked path around Section 2 and Section 14.

Costing RM1.6mil, the initiative was launched by Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shaari, who tested the path with Shah Alam deputy mayor Mohd Rashidi Ruslan and state executive council member Datuk Teng Chang Khim.

Amirudin cycling on the newly constructed bicycle lane. Cyclists want MBSA to replace the cats-eye (seen near the bicycle wheel) with another form of night reflective feature for their safety. — Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI and YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

The trio cycled together with Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) staff from the state secretariat building to Persiaran Sultan in Section 14 for the launch of the bicycle lane.

MBSA’s first cycling track began three years ago.

The 9km tracks are found in Section 4, Section 5 and Taman Tasik Shah Alam.

Going by the success of its cycling track project, MBSA has started work on the third phase in Sections 7 and 13.

The smart bus stop in front of Wisma MBSA in Persiaran Sultan, Section 14, Shah Alam.

It is expected to cost RM1.5mil.

When launching the second phase, Amirudin said cycling as a recreation was becoming a favourite pastime among residents in Shah Alam.

“I hope they will continue to adopt this healthy culture.

Nur Afifah Zainuddin (left) and Mazlina Saharuddin preparing to try out the new cycling lane during the launch of the second lane and smart bus stops in Shah Alam.

“In the future, perhaps residents can cycle to school or to work too with the lanes provided,” he said.

Amirudin added that MBSA was actively promoting healthy living as it was working towards becoming a low-carbon city by 2030.

Mohd Rashidi said the second bicycle lane was slightly different from the first as they were located on the main roads.

The emergency button is one of the seven features in the smart bus stop.

The first dedicated lane, he said, was concentrated within Taman Tasik Shah Alam and housing areas adjacent to it.

“Cyclists there rode on road pavements only and a special track in the park,” he said.

In easing connectivity further, Amirudin launched two smart bus stops, equipped with seven smart elements, in Persiaran Sultan.

The smart elements, which are found on the electronic panel, include informing passengers on the arrival of a bus, free WiFi, button to pick passengers up, close-circuit television cameras (CCTVs), panic or emergency buttons, USB charging ports and an air quality index monitor.

The smart bus stop is equipped with seven elements, including CCTVs and USB charging ports.

The smart bus stop, a project between MBSA and the state government through the Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU), will provide residents with facilities in line with Selangor’s vision to be a smart state.

The bus stops are situated in front of Wisma MBSA and another at Plaza Perangsang as there were no bus stops along the Persiaran Sultan stretch prior to this.

Amirudin also urged the public to continue supporting the Selangor Intelligent Transport System (SITS) mobile application that was introduced since 2017, which allows commuters to better plan their travel time on Smart Selangor buses.

Through the mobile application (app), users learn the estimated arrival time for each bus as well as the route.

“To date, we have 90,000 downloads and more than half of it are active users who use the app at least five days a week,” said Amirudin, hoping more residents would take advantage of the facilities provided by the state.

Commuters give thumbs up

Cycling enthusiast Suhairi Saharudin, who cycles with a group of friends on weekends, said the new bicycle lane in Shah Alam was a wonderful idea as it now allowed his group to cycle out of their usual route in Section 3.

“I think MBSA is making genuine efforts but the city council needs to consult cycling associations and enthusiasts for feedback to create safer cycling paths,” he said.

Suhairi also suggested that the city council remove reflective cats-eye along the bicycle lane as these were too high and could cause cyclists to fall off their bikes if they accidentally rode over it.

“But we do need to have some kind of reflective material, especially at night.

Fatin suggests looking into installing a solar-powered cooling system at the bus stop.

“MBSA has to brainstorm to instal other gadgets to make cyclists feel safe,” he said.

The state government’s smart bus stop also received positive response from commuters.

Golf caddy Amir Yusop, 53, said having a well-designed bus stop was essential in good urban public transit while the CCTV component gave people a sense of security at the bus stop.

“This stretch of Persiaran Sultan can be quiet in the evenings and it is good that MBSA has installed CCTV.

Amir says CCTVs give commuters a sense of security while waiting for the bus.

“Now, it seems to be a good facility, but we will give more feedback later,” he added.

UiTM student Nurasyikin Samsul, 23, was happy with the WiFi service at the bus stop, and hoped that the place would have a cool environment for the commuters.

“Having a more comfortable waiting environment in the afternoon heat will lead to greater rider satisfaction.

“I believe all these features might lead to higher ridership.

Nurasyikin is happy that the bus stop is WiFi enabled.

“MBSA needs to keep on improving to encourage the people to use the public transport,” she added.

Also happy with the CCTVs and WiFi feature was 26-year-old Fatin Syafikah Mohd Nazir, a supervisor in a local firm.

“We have a lot of sunlight, MBSA should work with a company to instal a solar powered cooling system for commuters.

“Having such an innovative and sustainable feature will benefit the environment and show that the city is making progress,” she said.