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Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shared that the government has no plans to introduce vehicle entry charges for private cars entering city areas yet. Honestly, I think this is a wise and people-centered decision.
Charging people just to drive into the city might sound like a good way to reduce congestion, but for many Malaysians, it would simply mean another burden on top of rising living costs. Before asking people to leave their cars behind, we must first make sure public transportation is reliable, affordable, and accessible everywhere.
Anwar mentioned that such a charge could only be considered once our public transport network becomes comprehensive and efficient nationwide. I agree with that approach. It makes sense — how can we expect people to depend on public transport if the system isn’t ready yet?
Interestingly, this idea isn’t new. Back in the 1990s, something similar was tried but didn’t work out. At that time, bus services were poor — crowded, uncomfortable, and unreliable. People had no real alternative to driving. Thankfully, things are improving now. Our LRT, MRT, and bus systems are becoming better organized, and terminals like the new Gombak Integrated Terminal (TBG) are helping connect major routes across the country.
Before introducing any form of vehicle entry or congestion charge, we must make sure the system works for everyone. That means reliable buses and trains that are frequent, affordable, and well-maintained. It also means having comfortable pedestrian access, safe park-and-ride facilities, and smooth last-mile connections between stations and neighborhoods.
Still, there’s room for improvement. For example, the last-mile connection — getting from the station to home or work — remains a challenge for many. Until we fix that, introducing extra charges for driving into the city would only frustrate people.
I believe that sustainable change takes time. Once our public transport truly meets the needs of the rakyat — comfortable, convenient, and efficient — then it would be fair to revisit ideas like congestion charges. For now, focusing on improving transport quality is the real way forward. Thanks government and PMX for this good initiative towards Rakyat.
Badrulamin Luthfi (mobamil96@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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