Congestion charge without solid public transportation a no-go, says Loke

 

A congestion charge is imposed on drivers entering certain areas in the city during peak hours based on their number plates, with the goal of reducing traffic congestion.

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Imposing congestion charges in the city centre in hopes of alleviating traffic jams will only burden the people without a strong public transportation system in place, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook.

Loke said his view was that Kuala Lumpur’s public transport network needed to be bolstered before Putrajaya could roll out the congestion charges.

“Imposing congestion charges without presenting alternative modes of public transport to the rakyat would only burden them and affect them socioeconomically,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

In his winding-up speech on the royal address, the minister said the Cabinet committee on road safety and traffic congestion had discussed congestion charges, which have been introduced in developed nations.

He said these other countries only introduced the charges after they had in place a sustainable and wide network of public transportation.

In December 2023, natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had said Putrajaya needed to consider imposing congestion charges after public transport had reached a certain stage to make the city more sustainable.

Discussions have been held on imposing congestion charges after the completion of the MRT3 line.

Also known as an environmental fee, the charges would be imposed on drivers entering certain areas in the city during peak hours based on their number plates, with the goal of reducing traffic congestion in KL.

Separately, Loke said the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia received an official application from Kedah on Sept 9 to build an aerodrome for the Kedah Aerotropolis project.

A memorandum would be brought to the Cabinet soon, he added. - FMT