Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has revealed that the government has always considered congestion pricing in order to reduce the private car use on the island. This is in response to calls from a transport expert for the state to implement such a fee to tackle the problem of congestion.
The chief minister said the state government is considering a combination of measures to cut down the use of cars, but it will likely not be implemented before the Penang LRT line is completed. Chow stated that road pricing and city entry fees were being considered as part of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
He added that the timing must be right, with an efficient public transport system critical to achieving a targeted 60:40 ratio of public to private vehicle use. “What we need today is a package to resolve traffic issues, not just one measure to settle all, such as the LRT line. The LRT line will not automatically cause people to move from private vehicles to LRT,” said the chief minister.
The upcoming Mutiara LRT is estimated to cost RM13 billion, spanning across 21 stations and a cross-channel bridge to Butterworth, and will be completed by the end of 2031. In related news, Kuala Lumpur has also previously considered a congestion fee to reduce traffic, but it will not be implemented until after the completion of the third MRT line, which is due to begin construction in 2027 after several delays.
(Source: FMT)
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