It would be a very good idea if the people who are in charge of administering the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur be those who are also in tune with the city and understand the people who live and work there.

The ban on the motorcycle ride share app Dego Ride by the Transport Ministry on Wednesday shows that they do not have a grasp of who KLites are and what their cost of living is in these trying times.

The number of motorcycles in the capital city is big. According to statistics released by the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) and is available on their website, motorcycles account for 23 percent of all road users in the city.

It is estimated that the ratio for private ownership is 985.7 vehicles per 1,000 population, and considering that the population of Kuala Lumpur increases during the day to around 7 million people, that would mean a lot of motorcycles!

The fact of the matter is that the cost of transportation for people living and working in the city is high. Cars are substantially more expensive to purchase and once you have a car, there is the road tax, insurance and, of course, petrol and toll charges to consider.

Even the cost of public transportation within the city is high. The cost to take trains like the MRT, LRT and Komuter can add up in a month to an arm and a leg. Let’s not even talk about taxis, Uber and Grab.

So when Dego Ride started its operations in November last year, its low cost was definitely appealing to many KLites. It provided an affordable option for those who wanted, or needed, to use public transportation.

With the significant number of blue-collared workers who either live in or commute on a daily basis to the capital city, the cheap ride share app provides them a convenient and affordable service.

The Transport Ministry did justify their ban by saying that...