Urbanites can now bring bicycles on board LRT

Beginning today, city dwellers will be able to bring full-sized bicycles on board the Kelana Jaya, Ampang and Sri Petaling Line LRTs on the first and third Sundays of the month.

Rapid Rail chief executive officer Datuk Zohari Sulaiman said they would be allowed to bring the two-wheeler with them from 6am to 10am, in support of the KL Car Free Morning programme.

Previously, people were only allowed to carry folding bikes onto the LRT, monorail, and MRT during off-peak hours on Monday to Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

"This step will facilitate participants of the 'KL Free Car Morning'. Now they do not have to bring a car into the city to conserve the environment, and reduce carbon emissions in the air," he said during a press conference after the launch of the 'Bike and Ride' initiative here, today.

He said studies conducted via Twitter's MyRapidKL site showed 80 per cent of the people supported the move to allow full-sized bicycles to be brought onto LRTs, while the remaining 20 per cent was neutral.

"If the trial stage is successful, and users comply with the conditions set out, we will consider extending the programme to other days, and for a longer period of time, before it is implemented with other services," he said.

Zohari said a series of riding simulations were held with cooperation from the Prasarana Cycling Club and Land Public Transport Commission to ensure the safety of passengers and smoothness of train operations.

"They need to make sure that bringing the bicycles on board does not pose a risk, or discomfort to other passengers, as well to ensure that the bicycle is clean and safely transported without damaging Rapid KL assets," he said.

Zohari said the initiative was to expand its 'target segment' by attracting cyclists, thereby increasing the number of passengers, in line with the government's desire to achieve 40 per cent equity share of public transportation (four in 10 people taking public transport) by 2030. - BERNAMA