Highway authority urges upgrade for motorcycle lanes to suit high-powered bikes

Motorcycle lanes on every highway need to be upgraded so that they are also suitable for the use of high-powered motorcycles to reduce the risk of accidents, says Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) chairman Jalaluddin Alias.

He said there were roads such as the motorcycle lane entrances in Penang and Ipoh, Perak, that are considered unsafe for high-powered motorcycles and could cause accidents.

"Highway concessionaires are urged to upgrade the (motorcycle) lanes or provide appropriate facilities for this type of motorcycles to ensure the riders’ safety," he told reporters after visiting the LLM Traffic Management Centre at Wisma Lebuh Raya in Kajang yesterday.

He said more than 10,000 road accidents were reported along LLM-supervised highways from January to May this year, with about 200 fatal cases involving motorcycles.

Jalaluddin said the highway concessionaires also need to make improvements to motorcycle lanes taking into account accidents due to bad weather, including the risk of motorcyclists being hit when stopping under overpasses to take shelter from the rain.