A congestion charge for vehicles entering city centres is not a new concept, having been implemented in cities from London to Singapore. The idea is to reduce congestion, improve air quality and encourage people to use public transport – driving into the city is a luxury; if you want to do so, pay up.
Someday, Kuala Lumpur might impose a congestion charge, and this will be considered once the public transport network is complete in 2030. Transport minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said so in parliament today, in response to a question from Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil.
“Once it (MRT3) is completed in 2030, we will look back at the fee structure for vehicles entering the city. When we have a completed public transport network system, then it is time to look at this particular component. This is the correct trend (to introduce the fee), not only for entering vehicles, but in terms of environmental protection too,” he told the Dewan Rakyat, reported by The Vibes.
The Ayer Hitam MP added that congestion charge is already in place in major cities around the world, with exemption given to electric vehicles. He also said that the proposal to implement a congestion charge, or environmental fee, will be deliberated when the MRT3 Circle Line is completed. MRT3 is expected to be fully completed by 2030, with the first phase of the loop line to be operational as early as December 2028.
Already approved by the government, MRT3 is set to be the finishing piece in the Klang Valley’s rail public transport network. The loop line will be around 50 km-long, running along the perimeter of KL city and linking together places that aren’t connected in the current “spokes”. I’m thinking of Tokyo’s indispensable Yamanote Line.
It was revealed in April last year that MRT Corp is looking at 30 stations for the Circle Line, including some 10 interchanges with existing rail lines. Some of the proposed stations are Bukit Kiara, INTAN (National Institute of Public Administration), Sri Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Jalan Duta, Matrade, Jalan Kuching, Sentul West, Sentul East, Ayer Panas, Semarak, Setiawangsa, Ampang Point, Desa Pandan, Pandan Indah, Taman Perdana, Taman Midah, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (previously known as HUKM), Kuchai Lama, Old Klang Road and Pantai Dalam.
The project will be built in five phases over 10 years, but each completed phase will be able to operate independently, since the Circle Line links other stations/lines together. Wee said that 80% of the new line will be elevated while 20% of it will be underground.
What do you think of the idea of congestion charge?
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
But after MRT3 still need another 1 more line to achieve parity with large cities.
Ahsiongkor pushing very hard for this mega project,n having mega 5 star hotel sop complaint celebrations.
To deflect criticism of the revival of the shelved MRT 3,the storyline is familiar lor,we cant do cbd charge like Spore too soon,we do it after all the MRT3 or even 4 are completed.
Albert Einstein,if alive today..said this dude is as brilliant as his E=MC2 but in economics sense.
Abah said he got info,our finances in terrible shape.With rm28 Billion to pay for petrol subsidy,a balloning civil servants and pensioners bill,IMDB bonds maturing…hello even a kindy kid can do the math..you are borrowing with no tomorrow.R we saying we are richer now with covid n Ukraine war than when PH 22months era?
Billions already given out as bantuan for lockdowns,now floods..hello..hope we dont become Zimbabwe..where u need to carry briefcase of cash to buy your Starbucks coffee.
Easy, which country became rich without investment into infrastructure? None. That shows you have no idea how a Government should run, and if you had you’d wouldn’t be here talking crap.
Sound good but due to Malaysian culture, this will make KL the next Hanoi.
WFH only la. Good for the city traffic. Good for the environmental pollutions. Good at saving transport cost too.
That is not our decision to make. Unfortunately malaysian bosses are mostly chinaman-like bosses that don’t recognise work-life balance and surely they couldn’t care less about the environment.
Chinamen a lot better than Japanese mind. I worked in Japan, wanna die the environment. Live like cockroach, work to hell without payment OT. Yeah, Boss said you choose to work after hours, but..but, no one dare to go home after 5pm. All ppl go home at 11pm. So frm 5pm to 11pm overtime is your own choice no payment. If you dare stand up at 5pm, haha..everyone boycott you. Eventually, you are out of work and your resume habis. Go work at McD then, smile like patung all day repeating same phrase. Irasaimashe..blah blah…then look at how Japanese treat service ppl like cockroach..Malaysia so much heaven compared to hell Japan. At least here can muka masam, Minum teh borak, sampai kerja lewat, balik awal. Cincai cincai..I rather work with chinamen. At least they will pay you..still wanna complain?
Some line of work cannot WFH and the worker need to be there in person. Also some require software or PC that can only be installed in the office. As much as WFH is the trend now only certain line work can do it effectively. One can only attend so many zoom meetings before getting zoom fatigue.
civic turbo..how can the dentist or nurse work from home?Bring the whole chunk of drilling tools to do it at your home? siow…eh
the cost of malaysian public transport (even with my50/my100 passes) is too high considering the overall quality of their services and not everybody has access or lives near the stations so it’s unfair to impose congestion charge (I commute Rawang-KL daily and no other public transport here except buses and KTM trains which both have serious punctuality issues). since it costs about the same (cost for mrt ticket/bus ticket/parking at station) we might as well use our own transport.
If petrol is going to be RM 3.00/liter, tolls will still be around til kingdom come, parking charges will go up with greedy operators, will you still think it cost the same to use public transport?
That time bob already pencen lah … So no more traveling here n there…
Have to add more public park in kl
Have to add more public park in kl
Agree!
everything charge to rakyat’s bill…when cars are sold, each and every one of it is charged taxes…including road tax. so when comes to congestion it because our problem too? what if we launch cars/ plates that don’t have the right to enter the city, and give rebates or maybe 30% off the excise duty for those? we can look at it from that angle too.
If gov is going to enforce it, please make sure you dont leave out taxis and ehailing.
reduce car price first. then we talk. otherwise already charging us crazy road taxes and sales tax and duties all for what?
This the problem with Malaysian government. We really love to copy things from developed country without thorough research. Those charges were implemented after their public transportation are perfect. In Malaysia, our public transportation especially the busses & KTM are no way near perfect. Fix those problem first so that the rakyat can utilize public transportation to the fullest potential. MRT & LRT line are not always accessible to people & people will end up using e-hailing services to reach the stations. With the charge implemented, what do you think the price of e-hailing services will be?
Lol. Public transport system like haram, wanna charge this and that and force people to use. Lrt till 12am, why the hell does the pathway going to and fro from the lrt station get closed at 11.40pm, forcing people to walk along the dark and deserted roadside with more than triple the distance?
Please please NO FURTHER MRT Lines to make from one vicinity to another…..and TOTALLY BRAINLESS IDEA of Mr. WeeWee to stamp city travel charges unnecessarily IN A RUSHED MANNER without any proper study, and as such, MA CHAO AI Politikus such as WeeWee, LBH Melaka, DocMah the Deputy Education Minister SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT BE VOTED INTO THE GOVERNMENT again – may these three MA CHAO AI Politikus be rejected from potential voters to vote them into Dewan Rakyat and WORST STILL if DocMah becomes MA CHAO AI candidate for the Dewan Rakyat seat of either Lumut or Beruas and if that fler steps into my parents’ house and offer me Ma Chao Ai membership form ah, I will NOT FILL UP even with threat and coercion from his bodyguards but will WHOLE-HEARTEDLY TEAR UP that Ma Chao Ai membership form in front of him!!!!!!
Agree to the proposal only if it covers most of Klang valley and increases train frequency (even during weekend) while lowering public transport price.
2030 all EV on the road..
where got pollution?