It is important to highlight that this decision was not made on a whim – it was the result of the careful and considered input of many experts including special advisers, civil servants and non-governmental organisations concerned about the safety of Dego Ride’s service (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/02/13/liow-we-can-act-against-dego-ride-motorcycle-taxi-service-provider-needs-a-licence-to-operate-says-m/).
Last year, the number of accidents stood at 521,466 – and took the lives of 7,152 people, according to PDRM data. Of these, motorcyclists contributed to 62.7% of deaths on the road, compared to car drivers 20.8%, pedestrians 7.1% and lorries 2.6%. The risk of fatality and being seriously injured when one travels on a motorcycle is also 48 times higher than compared to travelling on a bus and 6.2 times higher than in a car over the same distance (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/02/03/way-too-many-road-accidents-liow-says-too-many-lives-lost-and-its-too-costly-to-bear/). These numbers are completely unacceptable.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m more than open to meeting the operators of Dego Ride but the Government is firm in maintaining the ban of the service as public safety is not something we take lightly (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/02/15/cabinet-confirms-ban-on-dego-ride/).
My main priority is to ensure that we have an efficient, cost-effective, reliable, comfortable and safe public transport system. There are no quick fixes when it comes to guaranteeing public safety. Safety risks need to be managed – and this is what I intend to keep on doing.
Contrary to what has been expressed by certain parties, the Government encourages innovation and technology to solve the nation’s traffic congestion problems (http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/dego-says-will-ride-on-despite-ministers-order-to-cease-ops).
A look at some of our recent developments such as the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line, LRT3 and Malaysian-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) serve as proof that the Government is committed to the long-term investment of a modern, world-class urban public transport system.
The LRT3 is the first rail project with green technology in Malaysia, incorporating rainwater harvesting technology, noise reduction and better energy management systems as well as natural ventilation in the designs of the stations. Once completed by 2020, the 37km-long LRT3 line will connect over two million people between Bandar Utama and Johan Setia, Klang.
The HSR line, on the other hand, will include a double-track on standard gauge and will be powered by proven high-speed technologies. Trains on the line are expected to run at a speed of 300km/h. Commuters will be able to travel between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in under 90 minutes.
These are game-changing projects that will contribute to a thriving economy. More importantly, the projects will improve liveability by easing traffic congestion, providing better accessibility and substantially improving and integrating urban public transportation for the rakyat.