Malaysia's seat of Government gets on its bike

The designers of Putrajaya were given many apparently complex objectives. One was to make sure that the design and layout both favoured and encouraged pedestrians and cyclists. The government offices moving out from the often-gridlocked centre of Kuala Lumpur would take many of their workers with them, moving to new housing developments close to their places of work. Low cost flat rate shuttle bus services run between all major points to remove the need for much local commuting.

But getting Malaysians out of their cars is a tough task: they will take a car for just a few hundred metres.

In September 2005 the governors of Putrajaya, which in effect means the Federal Government, told workers in its offices to walk or cycle to work.

Federal Territories Ministry secretary-general Dr Zulkarnain Awang has told staff living and working in Putrajaya that the move will benefit them in many ways - healthier, fitter lifestyles and also cheaper as petrol prices rise inexorably. In any case, he pointed out, the design of the city is such that cycling is mostly flat and that using the cycleways most journeys will be less than 2km.

Five bikes have been bought to loan them to workers who want to try out the idea - and more can be provided if response is good, says Zulkarmain.

Kuala Lumpur remains a very dangerous place to cycle with cycle lanes (insofar as there are any) used by motorcycles who have a habit of crashing into each other. The Putrajaya experiment will be watched closely by those who would like to zoom around KL's streets under pedal power.