KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic congestion in the capital can be reduced by 91 per cent by adopting ridesharing services to their full potential, according to a Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) study commissioned by Uber.
Uber Malaysia & Singapore General Manager Warren Tseng said the study was part of Uber’s #UnlockingCities Campaign which sought to empirically quantify the benefits of ridesharing to Asian cities, ultimately helping people reclaim their time, money and space.
“With fewer cars on the road there will be less pressure on the government to invest money into building more roads, thus alleviatng congestion and create better traffic flow.
“In the longer term, this funding can be channelled to benefit Malaysians in many other impactful ways,” he told a media briefing, here today.
The study said congestion and parking woes were taking a toll on residents who had to spend close to RM16,000 a year on traffic and parking costs.
An average driver in Kuala Lumpur spends 20 days per year stuck in traffic or looking for parking spaces, higher than the Asian regional average of 19 days and due to the difficulty in getting them, while 74 per cent of motorists had been late for event or appointment.
Tseng said with over 5.8 milion cars in the capital, it required nine buildings the size of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre just to park them all.
“The BCG’s analysis reveals that KL only needs 60 per cent of cars currently on the road. The additional space freed up could equivalent to 140 lake garden parks,” he said.
The #UnlockingCities Campaign aims to highlight the urgency of solutions to congestion and parking problems and how residents can innovative solutions like ridesharing which has a role in unlocking the potential of cities by sharing resources.
The campaign using cardboard box to represent the car with the 90 second short film tittle “Boxes”.
Meanwhile, Boston Consulting Group Partner and Managing DirectorRick Ramli said from the study, greater collaboration between government agencies and ridesharing platforms was needed to encourage shifts from less efficient modes of transport.
While the benefits of ridesharing and pooling vary, he said substantial growth in adoption is needed in all markets to realise the advantage on a sustained basis.
“A combination of improved service offerings from ridesharing platforms, as well as support from regulators will be required to achieve the adoption needed for material benefits,” he added. — BERNAMA