Loke: Congestion Charges Must Come With Reliable Transit

In a recent Dewan Rakyat session, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng raised the idea of imposing congestion charges during peak hours and introducing license plate restrictions to ease traffic in Kuala Lumpur. However, Transport Minister Anthony Loke made it clear that such measures are not feasible yet.

“Introducing congestion charges without providing a reliable public transportation alternative will only place additional pressure on the public and negatively impact their socio-economic wellbeing,” added Loke.

He also went on to emphasise that developed countries only implemented congestion charges after first building sustainable public transport networks. These systems must offer reliable access, safe infrastructure for first and last-mile connectivity, and integration with key activity centers.

“To be effective, public transport must also be tied to sustainable land-use planning and transit-oriented development,” he added.

At present, Loke said, the ministry’s primary focus is on strengthening public transportation across the Klang Valley and rural areas. This includes close collaboration with other ministries and agencies to further public transport development.

However, Loke also reassured that these congestion charges have already been discussed at the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion. The committee is currently working on strategies and initiatives for short to long-term solutions in solving the worsening traffic congestion in the Klang Valley.

Having said that Loke reaffirmed that for now, the priority is clear: build a solid public transportation system first, and only then consider congestion charges as a solution.