Should drivers feel tired or drowsy while traveling along the highway, they can always stop and rest at R & R (Rest and Recreation) centres.
But motorcyclists, traveling along most of our highways, need “shelters”. Shelters are intended to provide motorcyclist a place to rest and take shelter from the rain.
At certain times, motorcyclists sustain mechanical problems and puncture tyres. Shelters along the highway will definitely be safer than stopping beside the highway.
But just look at the number of shelter built specifically for motorcyclist along our highways. To say that there aren’t any shelters at all would be a wrong conclusion.
To be fair to the authorities concerned, there certainly are quite a few shelters for motorcyclists along the highways all across the nation. But the number can certainly be improved.
Rain, which is the motorcyclist greatest problem, can arrive at any moment. Malaysia, being a tropical country with rain falling most of the time, to have more shelters for two wheelers, will sound to be a boon to motorcyclists.
So my suggestion to the authorities would be, “build more of the shelters for these motorcyclists”.
The present shelters are in my opinion, not much to shout about. There are not only insufficiently big enough to cater for more motorcyclists, they are in fact too far apart for the good of our motorcyclists.
But at least they are there.
My complain about them is there should be more of such shelters being built.
But you know what?
If you are observant enough to see our motor cycle shelters, most of the time we see a sign board denoting shelter for motorcyclists ahead. But surprisingly, there actually are no shelters to be seen at all.
What then is the surprise, you may well inquire?
Observe carefully along some of our highways. What the authorities seem to imply is shelters are in reality flyovers or overhead bridges.
Agreed some flyovers or overhead bridges are wide enough to provide shelters to the motorcyclists during the rain. That cannot be denied.
But do give it a thought. Is the authorities or the J.K.R. (Jabatan Kerja Raya) implying such places along the highways are the correct places for our motorcyclists to seek shelter from the rain?
I may have made a mistake. Correct me if I’m wrong. Time and time again, I have looked around to seek the normal shelter as expected. But alas, there aren’t any such shelters around, except the big, huge flyovers and overhead bridges only.
Once again, permit me to inquire, are these what the authorities mean as suitable shelter against the rain?
Can you imagine, a few hundred motorcyclists and the pillion riders milling together under these flyovers and overhead bridges? Has nobody ever thought about how dangerous the situation is?
Can you ever imagine, if you were to be a trailer driver, attempting to cross one of these flyovers or overhead bridges and you suddenly observe a group of motorcyclists seeking refuge from the rain, haphazardly milled around your path?
By the time you succeed applying emergency brakes, you vehicle would have gone out of control. And can you image the consequences?
Accidents of such nature have happened before with serious consequences. But the authorities have conveniently forgotten about it.
Our recent “Helmet Safety Campaign”, in which some 135,000 Sirim approved helmets were given away, our recent reduction of price for B2 motorcycle license from RM280 to RM201 and finally the reduction of license fee for motorcyclists from RM20 per year to only RM2, would have gone to waste, if many were to die should they continue to seek shelter under flyovers and overhead bridges as they used to do now.
As such, it is earnestly hoped, the authorities would heed this urgent call to build more shelters for motorcyclists along our highways.
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