The government needs to consider imposing congestion charges in Kuala Lumpur once the development of the public transport infrastructure has reached a certain stage. According to natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, this is to ensure that the city would be made more sustainable.
He said while discussions had been held on imposing congestion charges after the completion of the MRT3 Circle Line, the matter should not be put away and forgotten, as FMT reports. “It won’t be my decision, but something we have to consider if we want to talk about a more sustainable city moving forward,” he said.
He added that imposing congestion charges would be a tough but necessary decision that the government would have to make, similar to when it introduced the targeted electricity tariff, which compelled companies to explore solar energy.
“We have to bear in mind that we need to change our habits. Nothing has been decided, but you know, the government has to make difficult decisions. In the past year, for example, we started the journey towards the targeted electricity tariff, and after all the complaints and whatnot, many companies were compelled to start installing solar panels and energy efficiency measures,” Nik Nazmi explained.
In March last year, then transport minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said congestion charges would be considered after the MRT3’s completion in 2030, with the fee structure for vehicles entering the city to be looked at when the public transport network system was fully completed.
A congestion charge for vehicles entering city centres is not a new concept, having been implemented in cities such as London, Singapore, Stockholm and Milan. Supported with the right public transport infrastructure, the introduction of an environmental fee is viewed as among the best ways to reduce traffic congestion in the Klang Valley, especially in the federal capital. Such a move has of course been proposed before, from as early as 2015.
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