KUALA LUMPUR: The number of registered vehicles in Malaysia has exceeded the country's population.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Dewan Negara today that there were currently more than 36.3 million registered vehicles in Malaysia as of October this year.
Malaysia's population as of last year was 32.4 million.
Loke said cars made up the highest number of registered vehicles at 17, 244,978, followed by motorcycles at 16,773,112 and vehicles to transport goods at 1,429,403.
There are a total 84,745 taxis, 64,021 buses and 30,318 rental cars, while 736,410 other vehicles did not fit in any of the categories.
Of the total, 23,822,322 of them still have active motor vehicle licenses or road taxes; while 12,540,664 other vehicles are inactive without any road tax, he said.
"The Transport Ministry is carrying out several initiatives to encourage the use of public transportation such as the My50 unlimited monthly pass hrough Prasarana and free travel pass for people with disabilities and school students for KTM Komuter.
"In a few years, the rail network in the Klang Valley will be further widened," he said in a parliamentary reply to a question from Senator Datuk Koh Nai Kwong.
Loke said the Putrajaya Mass Rapid Transit line or MRT2 project had started operations on March 16, while the government was reviewing the proposed MRT3 project which covers a 51km rail network in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur and Ampang Jaya.
He said the proposed rail alignment, which would see the construction of 10 interchange stations, will be connected to the existing rail services including MRT1, MRT2, light rail transit (LRT), Monorail and KTM Komuter.
He said the ministry was also carrying out a strategic partnership with local authorities and other stakeholders to facilitate the use of micromobility vehicles.