So this news about the Transport Ministry recommending a ban on electric bicycles did not come as a surprise to me, just a tad disappointed. As I get older, I get more pleasure out of outwitting the government when it comes to saving road tax (shelving my BMW 728i saves me Rm1600 per year) than when using it. If we cannot change the rules, we can still boycott can't we?
I wish the cabinet ministers would not ban the electric bicycles per se, but introduce some rules to overcome any of the points mentioned against it:
"could result in a higher risk of injury or death" (can we have the statistics to back this please?)
"Electric bicycles do not meet the performance specifications of motorcycles." (why the need to meet the performance of a different type of bikes?)
"While Kong acknowledged that electric bicycles were good for the environment, he stressed that the higher risk of death and injury from collision did not warrant their usage." (the same reason again, statistics please)
"If you want to talk about being environmentally-friendly, using a normal bicycle is still the best" (you will grow old too, but I know you don't need to use such cheap vehicles because you are rich, but will you consider those who cannot pedal because of knee problems?)
"an electric bicycle could not be classified as an electric motorcycle" (who ask you to classify it as electric motorcycle?)
"Anyone can use it as there are no restrictions on who can use a bicycle"
"There is no need to register an electric bicycle or obtain a driving licence, road tax, insurance or registration number"
"Any young child will be able to use the electric bicycle without a crash helmet and that means a much higher risk of accidents"
(well, if you are so worked up, introduce some restrictions then, but please make them reasonable, ok?)
According to road safety studies, bicycles that move at more than 20km per hour pose a much higher risk of injury to pedestrians, especially when both share the same lane, (ban them from highways and certain roads then, but please not a total ban).
"could result in a higher risk of injury or death" (can we have the statistics to back this please?)
"Electric bicycles do not meet the performance specifications of motorcycles." (why the need to meet the performance of a different type of bikes?)
"While Kong acknowledged that electric bicycles were good for the environment, he stressed that the higher risk of death and injury from collision did not warrant their usage." (the same reason again, statistics please)
"If you want to talk about being environmentally-friendly, using a normal bicycle is still the best" (you will grow old too, but I know you don't need to use such cheap vehicles because you are rich, but will you consider those who cannot pedal because of knee problems?)
"an electric bicycle could not be classified as an electric motorcycle" (who ask you to classify it as electric motorcycle?)
"Anyone can use it as there are no restrictions on who can use a bicycle"
"There is no need to register an electric bicycle or obtain a driving licence, road tax, insurance or registration number"
"Any young child will be able to use the electric bicycle without a crash helmet and that means a much higher risk of accidents"
(well, if you are so worked up, introduce some restrictions then, but please make them reasonable, ok?)
According to road safety studies, bicycles that move at more than 20km per hour pose a much higher risk of injury to pedestrians, especially when both share the same lane, (ban them from highways and certain roads then, but please not a total ban).
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