MOT Developing Policy To Encourage Cargo Companies To Use ECRL

The Transport Ministry (MOT) will implement a policy to incentivize the industry to use the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) service once the rail project is completed, according to its minister, Anthony Loke Siew Fook. The policy aims to encourage cargo and transport companies to shift from heavy vehicles to the ECRL service as an alternative for their transportation needs.
Loke stated that the ECRL is viewed as an effective solution to reduce the number of heavy vehicles on the roads, which could help ease traffic congestion and minimize accident risks. This was in response to Khairil Nizam Khirudin (PN-Jerantut) who asked if the ministry intends to enact new laws or policies to curb the growing number of heavy vehicles during peak hours and lower accident risks.


"We see this as a viable alternative, especially for routes involving heavy vehicles to the East Coast. This policy will be introduced when the ECRL becomes operational," he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.

According to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which spans four states (Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Selangor), has advanced to 78.5% of its total as of January. This encouraging development, he said, is in line with the ECRL's first phase, which is projected to be completed by December 2026 and stretch from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, to the Gombak Integrated Terminal, Selangor, with operations starting in January 2027.

According to Amir Hamzah, depending on the project's current progress, the second phase—which would connect Gombak to Port Klang—should be finished by December 2027 and completely operational by January 2028.