Malaysians can expect to be stuck in traffic for a longer time from now on as private vehicle ownership is on an upward swing, unless the government makes public transport more convenient and attractive.

According to Road Transport Department data, nationwide vehicle registration for cars spiked from 2021 to 2023. In 2021, there were 530,057 new car registrations and by 2023 the number increased to 832,347.

According to MDS Consultancy Group managing director, Dr Rosli Azad Khan this is largely due to the lack of first and last mile connectivity and this is also the main reason for Malaysians wanting to own private vehicles.

According to Dr Rosli, a major reason is because transit alignments are often far from residential areas and, in order to discourage the use of private vehicles, there must be seamless interconnectivity.

Dr Rosli stated that having more interchange stations where commuters can easily switch train lines, a single payment platform and smaller feeder buses and allowing e-mobility vehicles on the trains is another step in the right direction.

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 journeys and making policy changes with regards to the use of private cars are other factors.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE