Construction of shelters under Bitara Madani initiative will ensure safety of motorcyclists

KUALA LUMPUR - Motorcyclists will soon be able to escape the worry of being involved in an accident or getting soaked when it rains with the government’s plan to build 119 motorcycle shelters on highways nationwide.

The plan under the Bitara Madani initiative, which involves 33 highway concessionaires, is a collaboration between the Works Ministry (KKR) and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM).

Tengku Ahmad Marwan Tengku Mahmud, a road safety affiliate with the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), in lauding the initiative suggested that appropriate and sufficient warning signs be installed to ensure that other road users are aware of the shelters’ existence and slow down when passing through them.

"I am confident that KKR and the highway concessionaire will conduct a detailed study on the important components that need to be provided and the location of the shelters where there are usually more motorcycle users than in other places,” he told Bernama recently.

On Aug 4, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi announced that a total of 119 shelters would be built on highways nationwide in an effort to make it easier for motorcyclists to seek shelter, especially during bad weather.

According to Nanta, 40 of the 119 new shelters are expected to be completed this year, while the rest will be ready next year, on top of the existing 353 shelters.

There are stand-alone shelters for motorcyclists provided by Plus Malaysia Berhad (Plus) such as at KM18.8 (northbound) of the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and KM429.2 (southbound) of the North-South Expressway which is currently under construction.

Elaborating, Tengku Ahmad Marwan said the construction of the shelters allows motorcyclists to take shelter in a much safer and more comfortable condition.

He said this is because the shelters are quite a distance from the road and equipped with guard rails.

"As such, the risk of accidents involving other vehicles can be drastically reduced,” he said.

A p-hailing worker Muhammad Afiq Muhammad Nasriq, 26, said the initiative will make it safer for him and his wife to travel back and forth from their home in Shah Alam, Selangor to their workplace here via the NKVE.

"The distance between our home and work is about 35 kilometres, when it rains it’s quite difficult to find a shelter and sometimes we and all our belongings get soaked,” he said.

Another motorcyclist Sumali Samsuri, 48, who often uses the NKVE to get to work here, is happy with the government’s initiative because it not only guarantees the safety of motorcyclists and pillion riders but also helps their families worry less.

"Usually, I would stop at a petrol station or bus stop for shelter, but the cramped conditions and the wet motorcycles make me uncomfortable.

"When it rains, the roads are slippery and the poor condition of motorcycle lanes with many potholes can be dangerous for users. My wife always tells me to be careful because she is worried about my safety,” said Sumali. - BERNAMA