KUALA LUMPUR: The government believes instituting congestion charges would be one of the ways to help the federal capital reach sustainable city status.
Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said nothing has been decided on the matter.
However, he said this was something that the government needs to consider for a more sustainable city moving forward.
"There have been long talks on congestion charges with the completion of the Mass Rapid Transit Line 3 (MRT3).
"That is not my decision but it is something we have to consider if we want to talk about a more sustainable city moving forward," he said at the launch of the Prasarana Sustainability Blueprint here today.
Also present were Prasarana chairman Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim, Prasarana group president and chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah, and United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, Karima El Korri.
Speaking to reporters later, Nik Nazmi said that the government said the congestion charges was one of the difficult decisions the government may have to make.
"We can do it that way or any other options in order to encourage the adoption (of public transportation)," he added.
The idea of congestion charges was mooted by the previous government and had resurfaced earlier this year with the formation of the Cabinet Committee to Address Traffic Congestion.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the government would seek immediate and total solutions to address the traffic congestion.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall, under the Traffic Master Plan 2040 (PITKL2040), had proposed Road Usage Charges (RUC) or congestion fee on vehicles entering the city centre to be implemented in 2040.
It was hoped that such a fee, if implemented, would help reduce the traffic volume in the city centre, by encouraging more people to use public transportation.
Earlier, Prasarana unveiled its Sustainability Blueprint 2023-2030, a comprehensive roadmap underlining the company's commitment to environmental stewardship and societal well-being, which will revolutionise the nation's transportation system.
The Blueprint outlines four key goals: Transforming Towards Low-Carbon Mobility; Upholding Safety and Security Standards; Driving Productivity and Enriching Community; and, Commitment to Good Business Conduct and Ethical Principles.
Nik Nazmi said transportation had the largest impact on carbon emission in the country and commended Prasarana's commitment to supporting the government's aim to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050.
He said Malaysian cities were planned and developed as vehicle-centric locations, so it would be difficult for people to immediately shift to public transportation.
However, the utilisation of public transportation, especially with companies such as Prasarana moving towards electric vehicles (EVs), will have greater positive impact in reducing the carbon emissions.
From the current 15 EV buses plying the bus rapid transit (BRT) Sunway Line, the company will be adding 100 more EV buses to its wider fleet by 2026 and a further 481 buses by 2030, with the ultimate goal of going 100 per cent electric by 2037.
This is on top of the 150 units of EV feeder buses that will be used for the upcoming LRT Shah Alam Line (LRT3), it said in a press statement.