Loke: Impractical to ban ‘kap chai’

KUALA LUMPUR: It is not practical to ban kap chai motorcycles despite calls for such a move, says Anthony Loke (pic).

“Some non-governmental groups are calling for a ban on kap chai motorcycles over safety concerns.

“But we have to look at it practically as a vast majority of the estimated 16 million registered motorcycles are under this category.

“Many would be affected if we ban these motorcycles, so my view is that it would be difficult to impose such a ban, ” the Transport Minister said when answering a supplementary question raised by Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

As an alternative, Loke said there were suggestions to switch to the use of electric motorcycles, which were less powerful and slower.

However, while encouraging the use of electric motorcycles, Loke said there was no decision to ban kap chai motorcycles on highways.

Instead, he said that plans would be included under the 12th Malaysia Plan for the construction of dedicated motorcycles lanes in hotspot areas.

Fadillah raised the issue of kap chai motorcycles after Loke told lawmakers that 72% out of 2,693 road accident fatalities in 2017 involved motorcyclists and pillion riders aged between 16 and 30.

Loke added that there were 2,818 fatalities in 2016 and 2,449 fatalities last year, involving those from the same age group.

Earlier, to a question from Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, Loke said proposed guidelines to regulate motorcycle e-hailing and food delivery activities would be discussed in the Cabinet this week.

In 2017, a suggestion by former federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to ban kap chai motorcycles in the heart of Kuala Lumpur triggered outrage from owners of such machines.

Source: TheStar