Nation

Give priority to public transport

KUALA LUMPUR: The new government that helms Putrajaya after the polls should spend more on improving public transport instead of building more highways.

Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre head Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua said the new administration should consider a 70:30 expenditure ratio, favouring public transport over expressways.

Law said an effective public transport network was the best way to reduce road accidents, injuries and traffic congestions.

He also called on the Transport Ministry to task a team of local experts to re-look the country's public transport system from various aspects, including affordability and the shift in work patterns.

"This team should comprise local experts from various disciplines, such as engineering, transport, economics and social sciences, to draw up comprehensive solutions.

"Homegrown experts have a better understanding of the local challenges and weather patterns in the country compared with foreign experts.

"It should also be placed under the Parliament's purview to give them more flexibility," he told the New Straits Times.

Another sore point that discouraged public transport ridership was the poor connecting bus services, Law said. As such, he suggested that the transit service be modernised and reviewed periodically to attract more commuters.

The promise to resolve transportation woes had been featured prominently in a number of election manifestos, particularly by Barisan Nasional (BN).

The coalition had pledged to integrate and modernise the national railway network to connect all major cities across the country if it was elected as the government.

The pledge was timely, Law said. Besides having a well-designed national rail network plan, he said the country should modernise its existing rail network to integrate them with upcoming railway lines.

Along with that, Law also recommended the construction of a high-speed rail (HSR) system, which had been proven to boost the economy of areas along its route.

Besides upgrading public transport, he also urged the new government to consider more rigid measures to ease traffic congestion in major parts of the country.

"Previously, the government was encouraging the construction of more expressways, which would lead to more private vehicles on the road, which eventually caused severe traffic congestion.

"So now, the government needs to implement deterrent policies, such as a road pricing scheme, or a fee for private vehicles to enter the central business district (CBD).

"We should also gradually reduce parking facilities in town to encourage commuters to opt for public transport.

"Simultaneously, the government must provide adequate transport modes to the public so that they have other options for maintaining mobility in the town," he said.

Likewise, commuters had also pinned high hopes on the incoming government to turn the country's public transport into a world-renowned system.

Shreya Menon Krisnan, 25, a frequent light rail transit (LRT) user, hoped to see a more integrated railway network that connected all cities nationwide.

"In fact, we could become like Singapore, where every city and even townships are interlinked with trains.

"Malaysians definitely need a robust and accessible railway system, especially with e-hailing fares skyrocketing now. GrabCar was a lot more affordable while I was still studying," she said.

"The LRT Kelana Jaya disruption had forced many working adults like me to fork out more money for e-hailing rides.

"The government definitely needs to break the monopoly in the e-hailing industry, or at least they should impose price tariffs for e-hailing rides during peak hours," she added.

Another LRT user known as Joe said he missed the comfort of working from home during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The only way to beat traffic congestion in the Klang Valley is to take the train to work.

"Unfortunately, the government has not done anything to change the poor maintenance culture in our public transport system," he said.

"I do not have high hopes to see a European-like railway network in Malaysia. If the new government can keep the trains running undisrupted, I will vote them back in again," he added.

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