Bike-sharing could solve first-mile, last-mile issues

Bike-sharing, not DRT, is the scalable and affordable solution to Malaysia’s first-mile, last-mile challenge.

From Boo Jia Cher

For years, the first-mile and last-mile problem has been the weakest link in Malaysian public transport. We build world-class MRT lines, only for the journey to unravel in the final two kilometres between the station and our front gates.

Lately, Klang Valley planners have pinned their hopes on Demand Responsive Transit (DRT): app-based vans that promise on-demand pickup, marketed as a flexible solution to urban sprawl where fixed-route buses struggle.

On paper, it sounds sensible. In practice, many commuters are discovering that DRT’s biggest selling point, its “tech”, is also its greatest flaw.

While the fare increase from RM1 to RM2 may seem trivial, it is significant for working class users who rely on it daily. And the real cost of DRT is not just measured in ringgit. It is measured in uncertainty.

The DRT Paradox

DRT promises convenience; what it often delivers is a gamble. Unlike a traditional feeder bus with a fixed route and timetable, a DRT van’s journey is dictated by an ever-changing algorithm.

You might board a van just one kilometre from the station, only for it to detour in the opposite direction to pick up several more passengers. During peak hours, the app frequently flashes the dreaded message: “No drivers available.”

In commuting, unreliability is the ultimate deal-breaker. It is precisely why many Malaysians continue to cling to their car keys, even when that guarantees a daily traffic jam. A car, for all its flaws, offers predictability and agency, two things an opaque algorithm cannot.

The case for the humble bicycle

If we look across the causeway to Singapore, or to dense suburbs in Taipei and Tokyo, the solution to the first-mile, last-mile is not an AI-managed van. It is the bicycle.

Bike-sharing services such as Anywheel or HelloRide offer something DRT never can: a predictable journey time. A 1.5-kilometre trip through a suburban taman takes roughly six to eight minutes by bicycle. It does not matter if it is rush hour or if 10 other people want to travel in the same direction. Your arrival time remains firmly under your control.

That certainty is everything.

Why it works in the Malaysian suburb

The usual objection to cycling in Malaysia is the heat and humidity. Yet Singaporeans cycle daily under the same climate, often far more than Malaysians do.

More importantly, this critique ignores the reality of the suburban commute. Most first-mile trips are short, five to 10 minutes at most. A little sweat is hardly a public health crisis; if anything, it may be a modest antidote to our growing obesity and diabetes rates.

Our taman streets, in fact, are well-suited for cycling. They are generally low-traffic and calmer than KL’s hostile arterial roads. A short bike ride is often more comfortable than a punishing 20-minute walk under the sun, and far more dependable than waiting for a van that may arrive late or not at all.

Moving beyond the algorithm

If we are serious about fixing the first-mile, last-mile, priorities must shift. Instead of pouring subsidies exclusively into van services that struggle to scale, policymakers should focus on enabling bike-sharing through:

1. Infrastructure over algorithms: Taman streets already require minimal intervention, but protected bike lanes along major roads are essential.
2. Order, not chaos: The failure of O-Bike should be a lesson. Proper parking zones and penalties for improper parking can prevent visual and physical clutter.
3. Availability: Bikes must be available everywhere, not just in select neighbourhoods or pilot zones.
4. Competition: Allowing multiple operators encourages rapid scaling and better maintenance, availability, and pricing.
5. Affordability: Bike-sharing subscriptions are consistently cheaper than daily DRT rides or e-hailing trips.
6. Integration: Seamless payment via Touch ’n Go or My50 would make cycling a true extension of public transport, not a novelty.

The first-mile, last-mile does not require a high-tech fix. KL already has bike-sharing services like HelloRide, but their limited coverage and reliance on costly electric bicycles have kept usage low, turning them into a misplaced sustainability gesture rather than a real solution.

We do not need fancier apps or smarter algorithms. We need a human-scale solution. It is time to stop waiting for an algorithm to pick us up, and start pedalling toward a more reliable commute. - FMT

Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.