RM463m boost for public transport as Malaysia prepares for Asean chair and Visit Malaysia Year, says DPM Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — The Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion (JKMKKJR) Meeting Number 3 of 2024 held today approved an allocation of RM463 million to improve public transport services.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this followed the allocation announced in the 2025 Budget as part of the country’s preparation to assume its duties as Asean Chair in 2025 and for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

He said the meeting also discussed several main issues of road safety and traffic congestion as well as formulated comprehensive solution initiatives, especially in a bid to encourage the use of public transport, especially in the Klang Valley and northern cities.

“Among others, Prasarana Malaysia Berhad has introduced the Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) service since June 2024 to improve connectivity at the beginning and end of the journey and so far with 20 vans in operation, customer waiting times have been reduced from 40 minutes to 13 minutes,” he said in a statement today.

Ahmad Zahid who chaired the meeting said that the implementation of the Special Bus Lane since July 3, 2023, in Jalan Ampang, Jalan Genting Klang and Jalan Klang Lama, has also successfully increased the number of daily passengers, reduced travel time and improved commercial speed.

The success, he said, has also been expanded to include the new Special Bus Lanes in Penang and the Klang Valley from November 2024, involving Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Cheras and Jalan Gombak, with an allocation of RM10 million.

He said the meeting also decided to make it mandatory to install speed limiter devices on buses under the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) category from Jan 1, 2026, through the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) Procedure to increase compliance with speed limits and reduce the risk of accidents involving commercial vehicles.

According to Ahmad Zahid, a total of 5,939 deaths due to road accidents were reported as of November this year, with an average of 18 deaths per day, 4,014 of them being motorcycle users.

“The main causes of fatal accidents include personal negligence (1,667 fatal cases), careless exit/entry at slip roads (690 cases), careless overtaking or changing lanes (525 cases), and carelessness/drowsiness/sleepiness (419 cases). This data further highlights the importance of law enforcement and road infrastructure improvements.

“The meeting also agreed to strengthen cooperation between agencies by implementing a comprehensive study led by the Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research (MIROS) including data sharing and engagement sessions to ensure a more effective approach in addressing road safety and congestion issues,” he added. — Bernama