SEPANG – It is still too early to assess the effectiveness of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) service on the Putrajaya route in reducing traffic congestion, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
This is because the congestion at peak hours is still critical, including on the MEX Highway, Federal Highway, and Kuala Lumpur-Sg Besi Highway, especially in the morning and evening, he said.
“The situation of peak hour congestion, especially during the month of Ramadan, is quite critical... but it is still too early to see the effectiveness of this MRT line to reduce road congestion,” he said.
The Putrajaya MRT line was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and began full operations on March 16.
Speaking at a press conference after launching the Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) Renewable Energy Programme at the Salak Tinggi ERL Complex here today, Loke said his ministry was aiming for the Putrajaya line to be used by 200,000 passengers every day compared with about 80,000 at present.
According to him, the number of passengers recorded during the first two weeks when operating for free was 100,000 per day.
“It’s normal because if it’s free, many people will use it, but we now see a trend of the number of passengers using public transport continuing to increase.
“We will take some time to increase the number of passengers; indeed, in all rail services, this is a normal thing that takes time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Loke said the renewable energy programme initiative will be extended to public transport stations across the country, especially for the rail transport sector.
“This policy will be extended to operators such as Prasarana, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd. In the future we plan to install it on MRT and LRT stations around the Klang Valley,” he said.
The first phase of ERL’s renewable energy programme involved the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the Bandar Tasik Selatan and Salak Tinggi stations, which have been fully functional since last year, as well as the latest one at Salak Tinggi ERL Depot. – Bernama, April 6, 2023
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