Bring back SPAD, transport planner urges Putrajaya

 

A former SPAD official says e-scooters can be useful but there must be proper infrastructure for their use. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A transport planner has called for the revival of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to help the government to deal with innovations in public transport and personal mobility.

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan said the federal government’s recent decisions to ban the use of electric scooters on public roads was a knee-jerk reaction which could kill the potential of micro-mobility to fill the gaps as the “first and last-mile solution”.

“It seems at the moment the government is at a loss and doesn’t know what to do when it comes to innovations (in transport) but we can’t blame them,” he said.

“The government must understand that consumers are very open to micro-mobility. With e-scooters, the supply and demand are ready but not the infrastructure and regulations which are the responsibility of the government.”

Micro-mobility vehicles are those used over short distances, such as lightweight single-person vehicles like electric scooters and e-moped, or those designed to accommodate one or two passengers.

Wan Agyl, who was formerly head of policy and planning at SPAD, said the commission would have jumped at the opportunity to be the lead agency to bridge federal, state and district agencies in dealing with micro-mobility.

SPAD was established in June 2010 to oversee the planning and development of public transport, with the objective to increase use of public transport and reduce private vehicle usage.

The commission was disbanded two years ago by the new Pakatan Harapan government and replaced by the Land Public Transport Agency which has less focus on policy planning and reduced jurisdiction in development and project implementation.

Wan Agyl said regulations for micro-mobility vehicles were necessary but must be supported with proper infrastructure.

E-scooters would not be a replacement for motorcycles but would be an option for those who want to shift, he said.

“With clear regulations and better infrastructure, the e-scooter might be another popular mode of choice for the general public,” he said.

“But the real question is who will take the lead to resolve the issue of micro-mobility? Will it be the federal government or the local authorities?”

Transport engineer Ahmad Farhan Mohd Salleh, another former SPAD official, said: “We need to make sure there are routes where micro-mobility will be prohibited. Contain them within a local area as a last-mile option and they can only go on pavements only, or on roads where there is enough space.” - FMT