I WOULD humbly ask the powers that be to ponder on the following facts before fully endorsing the motorcycle ride-hailing service.
Malaysia already has a very high mortality rate from road traffic accidents. Annually, more than 6,000 lives are lost on our roads, the majority of whom are motorcyclists, their pillion passengers and pedestrians who are hit by motorcyclists.
In addition, another three-fold are permanently injured in these accidents, often transforming them in their young age from wage-earners to full-time dependants.
Ask any healthcare provider in our hospitals and you would be told that motorcycle-related accidents cause most of the traumatic injuries, result in the highest loss
of productive days from work and bear calamitous impact to the family of the permanently injured.
We should be reducing the number of motorcycles on our roads, and where this might not be immediately possible, we should be working towards ensuring greater safety of motorcycle use.
Therefore, if the motorcycle ride-hailing service is to be allowed, restrictions must be placed to ensure their proper and safe use, including compulsory monitoring of rider behaviour, ensuring that they are penalised if excessive speed is used (if the duration of the ride is shorter than expected for distance and traffic conditions, for example) or their safety devices (helmets, mirrors, signal lights and etc.) are not functioning as intended.
As a healthcare provider, I dread to think of the even greater number of dead or injured motorcyclists and pedestrians who will come through our hospital doors because of the motorcycle ride-hailing service here.
CONCERNED DOCTOR
George Town
Malaysia already has a very high mortality rate from road traffic accidents. Annually, more than 6,000 lives are lost on our roads, the majority of whom are motorcyclists, their pillion passengers and pedestrians who are hit by motorcyclists.
In addition, another three-fold are permanently injured in these accidents, often transforming them in their young age from wage-earners to full-time dependants.
Ask any healthcare provider in our hospitals and you would be told that motorcycle-related accidents cause most of the traumatic injuries, result in the highest loss
of productive days from work and bear calamitous impact to the family of the permanently injured.
We should be reducing the number of motorcycles on our roads, and where this might not be immediately possible, we should be working towards ensuring greater safety of motorcycle use.
Therefore, if the motorcycle ride-hailing service is to be allowed, restrictions must be placed to ensure their proper and safe use, including compulsory monitoring of rider behaviour, ensuring that they are penalised if excessive speed is used (if the duration of the ride is shorter than expected for distance and traffic conditions, for example) or their safety devices (helmets, mirrors, signal lights and etc.) are not functioning as intended.
As a healthcare provider, I dread to think of the even greater number of dead or injured motorcyclists and pedestrians who will come through our hospital doors because of the motorcycle ride-hailing service here.
CONCERNED DOCTOR
George Town
