If you’ve found yourself sitting in Klang Valley traffic wondering whether Malaysia might one day limit how many cars people can own, the answer, for now, is no. Transport Minister Anthony Loke recently said that the government has no immediate intention of introducing any such policy, calling the topic “sensitive” and something that needs to be approached carefully.
He added that any long-term plan will have to strike a balance between mobility needs, economic considerations and what the public is willing to accept.
Loke was speaking after handing out Chinese New Year souvenirs to KTM passengers, where he acknowledged that the recent spike in congestion wasn’t surprising. Traffic jams have practically become a seasonal tradition leading up to major festivals like Chinese New Year and Ramadan.
Loke pointed out that Malaysia’s congestion problem is rooted in something far more structural which is that Malaysians are buying cars at an astonishing pace. Last year alone, the country recorded around 820,000 vehicle sales, enough to make Malaysia the biggest automotive market in Southeast Asia, despite having a much smaller population than Indonesia.
“This is the reality we must understand. Rising motorisation continues to outpace road capacity improvements,” he said, adding private vehicles remain the dominant mode of transport in Malaysia.
LRT3 and longer-term solutions
Traffic management tweaks alone won’t solve it, he said. And even when public transport ramps up capacity, the numbers still don’t match the sheer volume of cars on the road.
“Even with tens of thousands of additional rail seats, the number of vehicles entering highways can reach into the millions during peak travel windows,” he explained.
Loke said the government is trying to speed up the opening of the Shah Alam LRT Line (LRT3) to help ease congestion by giving motorists more travel options. However, he explained that the delay is due to required technical assessments and safety checks that must be completed.
“We also want to open LRT3 as soon as possible, but all tests must be completed,” he said. He added that the ministry is also looking into long-term policy solutions to tackle traffic issues.
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Also read: Heavy Vehicles, Including Container Lorries, to Be Banned on Roads for Four Days During CNY
