FOLLOWING the recent removal of the diesel subsidy, the withdrawal of subsidy for RON95 petrol has been widely anticipated, with various quarters believing that the recalibration would happen sooner or later.

This plan has been met with dissatisfaction due to the expected rise in living costs. Higher petrol prices make driving a less financially sustainable mode of transport for the millions of Malaysians who rely on cars to complete their day-to-day activities.

For the 55% of Malaysians who live paycheck to paycheck, the increase in driving costs without having a complete public transit network will place an even greater strain on their living costs.

Except for those with a high disposable income, the impact is felt by most Malaysians despite their income classification.

Young adults who need to travel far and wide for career and academic opportunities will be held back by inaccessible public transport and the hundreds of ringgits for petrol every month.

For those who cannot drive, e-hailing and taxis become unaffordable as the weight of increasing petrol prices is likely to fall on the shoulders of consumers.

How can we address this issue?

Once driving becomes a financial burden on families, the government needs to make use of the incentive created to switch to public transport.

This calls for investments in completing our public transport network to provide a reliable, cohesive and efficient system that makes public transport the ideal way to travel.

Our nation is at a crossroads whereby our public transport system already has railways as a solid foundation.

From the first LRT line in 1996 until the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK12), Malaysia already has nine railway lines in Klang Valley.

However, based on our research, our bus network is not sufficient. We only have around 700 buses compared to Singapore’s 5800 buses and London’s 8643 buses.

For comparison, Singapore’s land area is equivalent to a third of Klang Valley and London’s population size is almost the same as Klang Valley’s. Clearly, expanding our bus system to complement our well-developed railways is the way to go.

If our city is a living organism, the railways are the brain that coordinates the overall flow of movement and the buses are the neurons that connect the various areas seamlessly.

Thus, providing more buses is the more economical and practical solution compared to expanding the railway network.

With this solution, bus waiting times can be reduced to make public transport a more favourable option, as demonstrated by how the GoKL city buses are more popular since their waiting time is shorter (15 minutes).

Besides, new routes can connect existing routes to each other, thus reducing total transit time and fares.

To mitigate the impacts of the RON95 subsidy rationalisation, it is imperative that the government invests in a more robust public transport network.

Without such actions, the people will have no choice but to bear the brunt of the unreliable public transport that lacks connectivity.

Thus, policymakers must prioritise the development of the bus network to provide affordable transport for commuters.

By investing in buses, we make significant progress towards social welfare, environmental sustainability and a prosperous economy.

To go forward, the government must take decisive action to avoid alleviating the national fiscal debt by sacrificing social well-being. - Aug 8, 2024

Social Democracy Malaysia is a think-tank grounded in progressive policy-making. 

https://focusmalaysia.my/with-ron95-subsidy-reforms-on-the-horizon-a-complete-public-transport-system-must-be-prioritised/