Malaysian Urban Residents’ Readiness to Reduce Car Usage and their Perception on Non-Motorised Facilities.

Abstract

The research in this paper tries to establish the readiness of urban residents’ in Malaysia to minimize the car usage and their inclination to use non-motorised transport, such as cycling and walking, as alternatives to using a car for commuting. This study also tries to measure the perception of the residents regarding the existing scenario of walking and cycling infrastructure facilities provided in their cities. The data used in the study was collected through a survey in three cities, namely-Shah Alam, Batu Pahat, and Putrajaya, as a representation of the main cities in Malaysia. The results produced suggested- the majority of the population was not ready to give up travelling via car and take up cycling and walking in lieu of it. The causes listed for “refusal” of reducing the car usage included hot weather, surrounding safety concerns and undesirable pedestrian and cycling infrastructure conditions. The research explored that attitude, lifestyle and high level of dependency on cars are crucial factors dictating the travel behaviour, which is the reason why residents refuse to shift to sustainable and environment friendly options of travel. The research also suggests that these three cities need to improve and uplift their walking and cycling infrastructure facilities, especially in terms of provision of cover and shade, connectivity, design and maintenance and cleanliness to motivate the urban residents to minimize usage of the cars and take up walking and cycling instead.