PETALING JAYA: The percentage of public transport usage in Malaysia has only reached 20% to date, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said the figure remains below the 40% target outlined in the National Transport Policy 2019-2030.
"The national transport policy from 2019 to 2030 is already in place. So, our challenge is how to ensure that this policy is realised according to its intended goals," he said when met after the Ilmuwan Malaysia Madani Siri 6 forum at Menara Prasarana here yesterday.
The forum discussed the topic "Transportation for the People: Balancing Affordability, Quality and Sustainability of Public Transport", chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In addition to Loke, other panel members were president and group chief executive officer of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah, and Universiti Putra Malaysia Vice-Chancellor, Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah.
Commenting further, Loke said the implementation of the "Road to Rail" initiative is being carried out in phases and is expected to have a significant impact on the country's logistics sector.
"We are 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.
"When the East Coast Rail Link project is completed, it will boost the use of rail to transport goods and containers to the East Coast, thereby reducing reliance on road transport such as lorries," he added.
At the forum, Loke also said the government would continue its approach of appointing experts and professionals, rather than political leaders, to head public transport agencies and companies.
He said that experienced and qualified individuals leading public transport agencies were crucial to ensuring more professional and transparent management, rather than being determined by political interests.
"My stance is that there should be no political appointments in public transport operators. It must be led by professionals."
