PUTRAJAYA: A total of 60 per cent of railway assets nationwide are under utilised.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the assets which are managed by the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) should be developed to transport cargoes which are currently done so via roads.
"I see this as a good way to boost the income for the RAC and the same time, to curb road accidents and congestion caused by lorries carrying cargo, he said after attending the RAC's Silver Jubilee celebration today.
Liow added that the RAC must encourage more operators to come forward to utilise and optimise the capacity of the railways.
"We need to increase our current usage from 40 per cent to 100 per cent. So that it could boost the country's economy. I have asked RAC to work together with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to come with a comprehensive strategy to maximise the usage of the unused capacity," he added.
There is also a need to re-look at the cost of transporting cargoes through railways, as it is deemed to be costlier then via lorries.
"We have to look at ways to reduce the cost to transport via train especially when the cargoes arrive at the port and also build depots closer to train stations to enable greater accessibility.
"We also need to speed up the train services. All these will make the rail industry to be developed and contribute to the country’s economy. This will also ensure an advanced railway connectivity and benefit the people. We are embarking on a very exciting journey to boost the railway sector in the country," he added.
Adding further, Liow said the RAC had also managed its assets well, by earning a profit of RM26 million in 2016, compared to year before only RM19 million.
"They have also managed to reduce KTMB's debts from over RM1 billion to RM420 million as of now," he revealed.
Meanwhile, on the appointment of Datuk Shaharuddin Khalid as the new director-general of the Road Transport Department (RTD), Liow attributed as being a normal process for the Public Service Commission (PSC) to appoint or transfer new officers.
"I welcome Datuk Shaharuddin to the RTD. I hope the with his enforcement background from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the RTD will be further strengthened.
"On the appointment for the position of RTD enforcement director which is currently vacant, let PSC to make the decision and appoint," he said.
Earlier Liow, launched the Railway Assets Intelligence Systems (RAILS) developed by RAC.