KL, JB and George Town identified for possible congestion charge rollout, Dewan Rakyat told

KUALA LUMPUR: George Town in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru are the three cities identified for the initial rollout of proposed congestion charges, the Dewan Rakyat heard.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the proposed charges are still being studied by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation.

The aspects being studied include the implementation mechanism, potential reduction in traffic volume, and projected uptake of public transport if the congestion charge is introduced.

The study is expected to be completed by this year, she added during Ministers' Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

“If we implement the congestion charge, it can reduce traffic volume by up to 20% in Kuala Lumpur.

“The charge cannot be too low but should discourage motorists from using certain roads.

“We also do not want the charge to be too high, which can burden consumers,” she said.

Citing early findings from the study, Zaliha said similar measures used abroad are also being considered.

Among them are New York's electronic licence plate reader where charges are automatically imposed once a number plate is detected; and Singapore's electronic road pricing mechanism where charges are imposed by zone and time to control traffic flow.

In London, there are congestion charge zones where vehicles are charged for entering during peak hours.

Zaliha also referred to the road space rationing measure practised in Jakarta and Beijing where private vehicle entry is limited to odd or even numbers depending on the day.

Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN-Padang Serai) wanted to know about the congestion charge mechanism and the expected reduction in traffic volume.

Zaliha noted that around 1.5 million vehicles enter and exit Kuala Lumpur over 24 hours, while public transport ridership in the capital was only at 25% capacity.

“I agree with the Transport Minister’s stance that it is not appropriate to impose a congestion charge without a complete and integrated public transport system,” she added.

On Feb 19, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Dewan Rakyat that the proposed congestion charge in the city will only be implemented when the public transportation system has been enhanced.