Public transport usage in Malaysia is only around 20%, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said the figure remains below the 40% target outlined in the National Transport Policy 2019-2030.
“So, our challenge is to ensure this policy can be achieved as intended,” he said when met after the Malaysia Madani Scholars Forum Series 6 at Prasarana Tower yesterday.
The forum discussed the topic “Transport for the People: Balancing Affordability, Quality, and Sustainability of Public Transport,“ chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Besides Loke, other panelists included President and Group CEO of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah, and Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah.
Elaborating further, Loke said the implementation of the Road to Rail initiative is being carried out in phases and is expected to have a major impact on the country’s logistics sector.
“We are indeed encouraging the use of rail. That’s why the initiative we want to focus on is Road to Rail to promote greater use of rail for container and cargo transportation.“
“Once the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is completed, it will boost rail usage for transporting goods and containers to the East Coast, thereby reducing dependence on land transport such as lorries,” he said.
