Malaysian cities need to make walking safer

SIMPLY walking along a road shouldn’t be a test of nerves. Yet in many parts of Malaysia, a short walk to a shop, school, bus stop, or rail station can be a scary experience that is fraught with obstacles.

There are illegally parked motorcycles to get around, open drains, broken pavements and utility boxes in the way. On some routes, the footpath simply disappears, forcing pedestrians onto the edge of the road as traffic passes just metres away.