Photo Credit: DM’s Blog
I’m about to make a move back to KL for our popup shenanigans at Publika. I’m excited for the store, and of course am looking greatly forward to the roadside eating day and night. But along with the happy positives have come back a few concerns.
Hence this thought/opinion/call for help ULTRA post.
My previous year in KL saw me residing at the new developments in Sentul. A short and relatively safe stroll from the KTM, I could get to KL Sentral, and then to just about everywhere by public transport in budgeted time. That was, most centres of activity but The Curve. My Laundry Bar dances were limited.
The looks across faces when I mentioned my freedom from a car was often met with mild horror. And upon understanding of my taxi taking after nights out, larger horror indeed.
So yes, as with anywhere, there are larger objects of concern. But when work is the reason for the move, I’m looking at the immediacy of the work commute staring me in the suitcase.
As it’s a temporary shift, I’ll be housing myself at my family’s home in OUG. There are buses and a train line. But with the closest access point at a 20 minute-stray dog ridden-horn honking-walking distance away, I’m not exactly joyful at the thought.
So buy a car they say. My stubborn self says no, and my ULTRA self says not if it’s not at least a hybrid. And where is that cash coming from? Is that second hand Kancil, the thin beacon of metal with added carbon consumption and a layer of depreciating value the only way? No thank you.
KL has some transportation issues. We all know that. How many people trust that cab driver at midnight? Or have taken that dog-honk 20 minute walk with a shield of an iPod and thick pants? Or been in a car, anytime on a Friday, or anytime at all…
I refuse to buy a car that will add to the congestion and carbon. And that cash for an electric smartcar with a ‘We Are ULTRA’ emblasoned across it isn’t on my list of willing expenses or debts at the moment.
So what does one do? In this case I hope to seek out the existing and the possible.
When faced with this commute I thought “Oh for a Getaround (car sharing program) or an Avego route (carpooling on steroids)!”. But alas, these are currently USA dominant. And though I eagerly signed up on both, my profile seems to sit alone in the outskirts of KL on their maps.
So I scour the popular route. The Lowyat forum has 365 search results for ‘carpooling’. Looking good, but also looking like a headache. A forum’s not the most user conducive to matching up carpool hopefuls who have fluctuating schedules and levels of concentration.
Carpool World has a few KL profiles, so I signed up, but there’s no one going my way. The Meetup Ridesharealso has a few eager profiles, but it meets me with another forum like list of unformatted addresses, times and emoticons.
So what do I want? I want an Avego or even a Zipcar-Zimride with a healthy Malaysian database. Something that’s easy to use, that is clear, caters to my real time transportation needs, and is safe. Or a reliable public transport stop, every populated 5 kilometres. Or an efficient 24 hour bus route, without the fear of a lear or maybe more.
A minor individual’s asks in what is a major urban planning problem.
I like re-cap’s take on the matter through their article “Car Free? In Malaysia, that’s how this generation would like to roll.“. To paraphrase, they stress for the better design of a city that includes thinking about public and private transportation. That the public will use a transportation system if it saves them stress, time and money.
Right now I’d say only the latter is anywhere on the table.
If you’re a university, or an office, or a major hub (…Publika?) perhaps you’d be up for leading the KL transport scene? It would make it easier for the world to get to you, through the offering of some efficient bus transfers or maybe even organising some Zimrides (please).
Or, if you’re a car owning individual up for earning some cash and gratitude, or a rideless individual looking for a lift, could I encourage you to join me and add your smiling profile to Avego or Getaround? It’s as simple as a Facebook Connect click.
I hope you’re going my way,
ULTRA Anita
