Stuck in place: 832,347 new car registrations were made in 2023, an all-time-high since the 2000s.
PETALING JAYA: With private vehicle ownership on an upward swing, Malaysians can expect to be stuck in traffic for a long time to come – unless the government makes public transportation more attractive.
For smoother roads, policies that discourage private vehicle use coupled with an improved public transportation ecosystem are needed, experts say.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said most people, especially those living outside the city centre, prefer driving as it is more convenient than having to switch transit lines.
For example, if a commuter in Selangor plans to go from Kota Damansara to SS15, the passenger would need to travel all the way to the Muzium Negara MRT station, changing lines at the KL Sentral LRT station first.
“This doubles the travel time compared to driving.
“Public transport still has limited lines. More improvement is needed if we want more people to use public transport,” he said, adding that things might improve with the upcoming MRT 3 (Circle Line) and LRT 3 (Bandar Utama - Klang line) projects.
The significant increase in car ownership since the Covid-19 pandemic has compounded matters, he said,
“There are more vehicles than people in the country, leading to more congestion,” Prof Wong added.
According to Road Transport Department data, nationwide vehicle registration for cars spiked from 2021 till 2023.
In 2021, there were 530,057 new car registrations and by 2023, the number rose to 832,347 – a staggering 57% increase and an all-time high since the 2000s.
From 2015 to 2019, prior to the pandemic, the average number of new cars registered was 613,567.
MDS Consultancy Group managing director Dr Rosli Azad Khan attributed the lack of first and last mile connectivity as the main reason people prefer owning vehicles.
Transit alignments, he said, are often far from residential areas.
To discourage private vehicle use, he said seamless interconnectivity across different modes of public transport is a must.
Rosli, whose company provides transportation consultancy, said having more interchange stations where commuters can easily switch train lines, a single payment platform and smaller feeder buses, as well as allowing e-mobility vehicles on the trains, can help.
“Digital ticketing systems to enable a single payment platform across all modes of public transport such as MyRapid and other cashless systems can contribute to seamless journey.
“To shorten transfer times, smaller buses or minibuses can be used to ferry commuters from their housing areas to the transit stations,” he said.
Rosli also called for policy changes with regard to private car use.
“Car restriction measures, for instance higher toll rates for highways running in the cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Subang, Shah Alam and Klang, must be in place.
“Parking areas in the cities should be limited. Cars should also not be allowed to park on the road,” he said, while also calling for congestion charges to be introduced in the inner cities.
Malaysia Road and Transportation Safety Association president Nik Mohd Salim said he expects traffic conditions to worsen as there is more development but fewer plans to increase road access.
Urging the government to consider traffic issues in their city planning, he said there must be better access to public transport from the housing areas.
“Housing areas should centre around public transport hubs,” he said.
Malaysian Public Transport Users Association president Ajit Johl is optimistic about the upcoming rail projects, saying that they would help in reducing traffic congestion.
New lines, technology and greater investment in public transport have been proven to attract commuters, he said.
“We will see a reduction in traffic jams provided the government plays an active role in the continued promotion of the public transportation system,” he said, suggesting car-free days in the city on weekdays.
