The issue of growing traffic congestion requires policies which discourage the use of private vehicles, alongside improvements toward the public transport ecosystem, said experts according to The Star.
Most people, especially those living outside the city centre, prefer driving as it is more convenient compared to taking public transport where switching transit lines is required, said Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Wong Shaw Voon.
An example cited by The Star is a commuter in Selangor who travels from Kota Damansara to SS15 in Subang Jaya, who will first need to travel to the Muzium Negara MRT station, and change lines at the KL Sentral LRT station.
“This doubles the travel time compared to driving. Public transport still has limited lines. More improvement is needed if we want more people to use public transport,” Wong said, noting that the situation may improve with the upcoming MRT 3 (Circle Line) and LRT 3 (Bandar Utama – Klang line) rail projects.
Citing data from the road transport department (JPJ), new vehicle registrations increased from 530,057 units in 2021 to 832,347 units in 2023, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the lack of first- and last-mile connectivity is the main reason people prefer owning vehicles, said MDS Consultancy Group managing director Rosli Azad Khan, according to The Star.
Transit alignments are often located far away from residential areas, and seamless interconnectivity across different modes of public transport is a must if private vehicle use is to be discouraged. Having more interchange stations where commuters can easily switch train lines, along with a single payment platform and smaller feeder buses, as well as allowing e-mobility vehicles on the trains can help, he said.
“Digital ticketing systems to enable a single payment platform across all modes of public transport such as MyRapid and other cashless systems can contribute to seamless journey. To shorten transfer times, smaller buses or minibuses can be used to ferry commuters from their housing areas to the transit stations,” Rosli said.
“Car restriction measures, for instance higher toll rates for highways running in the cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Subang, Shah Alam and Klang, must be in place. Parking areas in the cities should be limited. Cars should also not be allowed to park on the road,” Rosli added, calling for policy changes to restrict private car usage.
According to Malaysia Road and Transportation Safety Association president Nik Mohd Salim, traffic conditions are expected to worsen as more development arises, but there are fewer plans to increase road access, The Star wrote.
“Housing areas should centre around public transport hubs,” Nik Mohd Salim said, who urged the government to consider traffic issues in their city planning, and that there needs to be better access to public transport from housing areas.
Meanwhile, new transit lines technology and greater investment in public transport have been proven to attract commuters, said Malaysian Public Transport Users Association president Ajit Johl according to the report.
“We will see a reduction in traffic jams provided the government plays an active role in the continued promotion of the public transportation system,” said Ajit, who suggested that the city implements car-free days on weekdays.
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