Kuala Lumpur: The percentage of public transport usage in Malaysia has only reached 20 per cent to date, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He stated that this figure remains below the 40 per cent target outlined in the National Transport Policy 2019-2030.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Loke emphasized the challenge of realizing the intended goals of the national transport policy established for 2019 to 2030. He made these remarks at the Ilmuwan Malaysia Madani Siri 6 forum held at Menara Prasarana, which focused on the theme ‘Transportation for the People: Balancing Affordability, Quality and Sustainability of Public Transport’. The forum was chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and included other notable panel members such as Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, and Universiti Putra Malaysia Vice-Chancellor, Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah.

Loke further commented on the ongoing implementation of the ‘Road to Rail’ initiative, which is being executed in phases. This initiative is expected to significantly impact the country’s logistics sector by promoting the use of rail. ‘We are actively promoting the use of rail. That’s why one of our focus initiatives is ‘Road to Rail’, to encourage more usage of railways for the transportation of containers and goods,’ he said.

He also mentioned that the completion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is anticipated to enhance the use of rail for transporting goods and containers to the East Coast, which would subsequently reduce reliance on road transport such as lorries.