PETALING JAYA: Motorcycle lanes along the Federal Highway, once hailed as a model for rider safety, have become stretches that many motorcyclists avoid, citing potholes, flooding, poor lighting and crime risks that make them more dangerous than the main roads.
Despite being designed to protect riders, the decades-old lanes are now plagued with neglect, forcing many to risk their lives by travelling on major roads alongside larger vehicles.
A Petaling Jaya-based executive
Sakti Ganesh, 32, said debris, such as fallen branches or rubbish,
could easily cause collisions and endanger riders.
“Sometimes, twigs or branches fall onto the lane. It may seem minor, but hitting them at speed could cause a bad crash.”
He added that the lanes’ poor condition, riddled with potholes and puddles after a downpour, makes riding risky even for experienced motorcyclists.
“It is risky to speed through these lanes as crashes could happen easily,” he said.
Other hazards include poorly lit tunnels and stretches with no streetlights, raising concerns about visibility and crime.
“There have even been cases in which riders were robbed while using the motorcycle lanes,”
added Sakti.
Motorcyclist Rais Zulfahmi, 25, said the lack of sufficient exits along the lanes often forces riders to use the main carriageway for convenience.
“There are not enough exits close to where we want to go.
“That is why some of us choose regular roads,” he said.
Although motorcyclists risk being fined for riding on the main roads, many believe it is the lesser of two evils compared with the dangers of the motorcycle lanes.
Muhammad Norazam Md Suri, 44, who works at KL International Airport, said safety concerns
often outweigh the fear of enforcement.
“The lanes are sometimes slippery and at night they are completely dark.
“After 8pm, I never use the motorcycle lanes, I just stick to the main road,” he said.
The motorcycle lanes along the Federal Highway, connecting Kuala Lumpur and Klang, were completed in 1974, making Malaysia one of the first countries to incorporate such lanes on a major highway.
They were designed to separate motorcycles from larger vehicles, reducing collisions and improving traffic flow.
However, decades of poor maintenance have turned them into collision-prone stretches.
Common complaints include potholes, flooding, debris and poor drainage, all of which make riding uncomfortable and hazardous, particularly during peak hours or
bad weather.
A persistent lack of lighting, especially in tunnel sections, has worsened the problem.
Riders say the darkness not only increases the risk of crashes, but also exposes them to robbery and assault.
