More buses not enough without proper city planning, says expert

Free Malaysia Today

03-08-2025

The government has announced plans to add 300 on-demand vans and 1,200 buses in major cities but transport experts call for coordination with local councils. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Providing more buses and on-demand vans does not instantly mean better mobility for the public, unless it comes with a coordinated system and proper city planning, says a transport expert.
Transport consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan of My Mobility Vision said the absence of a working and efficient ecosystem would still hinder results.
He pointed to the need for better local planning and called for local governments to be roped in from the onset whenever the federal government plans public transport networks.
'A bus, no matter how modern or efficient, cannot deliver results if it's stuck in the same traffic as everyone else. A van-on-demand service won't solve mobility issues if it's not connected to local travel patterns or coordinated with other modes.
'People can't walk to a bus stop if the footpath is cracked, shaded by nothing, or ends without warning. Mobility is not just about vehicles, it's about the entire journey.
'And that journey is shaped by how we plan our streets, manage our space, and design our cities,' he told FMT.
Wan Agyl, a former official of the Land Public Transport Commission (now known as the Land Public Transport Agency), said local governments decide on road designs, location of bus stops, and the construction of shaded footpaths or shelters.
Many local plans still give priority to car access over walkability, with spaces allocated for parking spots but not for pedestrian paths.
'Buses are essential. So are vans. But they must operate within a coordinated ecosystem. They need lanes that protect them from congestion. They need pedestrian networks that allow people to reach them without risk. And they need to be planned in consultation with the people who govern the streets, not in isolation from them.'
Separate bus lanes
Fellow transport consultant Rosli Khan also called for segregated bus lanes that are either physically separated by barriers or strictly enforced, instead of just being mere painted lanes, so as to prevent misuse.
He said the government could start introducing this in Kuala Lumpur, followed by Penang, Johor Bahru and other state capitals, adding that a pilot could first be done in the capital city's major roads.
Rosli also said it was important to increase the proportion of routes that offer 15-minute intervals even during peak hours in order to make travelling by bus more appealing.
'The government should integrate journey‑planner tools and ensure apps like Google Maps accurately show timings and reliability of bus services,' he said.
Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), the government plans to add 300 on-demand vans and 1,200 buses in major cities to make public transport more reliable and accessible for commuters, and 217 new passenger train sets to increase service frequency.
Other major cities
Rosli asked what initiatives would be undertaken in other major cities and state capitals, which do not have mass transit systems.
'So buses will be their main public transit mode. Is this (13MP) budget targeting only the Klang Valley then? Other state capitals which have long been neglected include Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Ipoh, Melaka, Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu. Where are the allocations for these cities?' he said.
Wan Agyl said the government should form a council to coordinate mobility planning involving federal, state and local council officials to co-design routes, infrastructure and land use policies.
'Federal public transport funding could be made conditional upon local plan revisions that support transit-oriented development. This would create an incentive for cities to align with national goals and create neighbourhoods where walking, cycling, and transit become the default, not the exception.'
He said some MRT stations were already underused because of a lack of surrounding footpaths or feeder access, because the last 500m to the station had been poorly planned.
'If we're not careful, the same story could repeat itself despite having 1,200 new buses, with it being a great promise, but having weak execution.'