Latest news with #MinistryofTransport
Bangkok Post
an hour ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Flat fare a good start
The 20-baht flat fare for electric trains that will run from Oct 1 this year to Sept 30 next year is a welcome move to ease the cost of living for city commuters. It will apply to all eight Bangkok electric train lines with public registration starting in August via the "Tang Rat" mobile app, according to the Ministry of Transport. It's not yet in place, but the public and critics are already wondering how long this generous fare subsidy will last. The fare cap for electric trains and subways in the capital is one of Pheu Thai Party's election promises. While many of the party's bold visions such as the Land Bridge or the casino entertainment complex have fallen flat, the fare cap scheme is perhaps one singular visible achievement that Pheu Thai-led government can brag about. No doubt the party hopes that voters will reward it at the next election. The subsidy will require a budget of seven billion baht a year to keep all city train and subway routes capped at 20 baht. For this year, Deputy PM and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit forked out the money from the State Railway of Thailand's budget. Some critics say the subsidy unfairly takes money that should go into improving the railway system overall. A bigger problem is that the subsidy could actually cost more than budgeted. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, which oversees the crowded Green Line, reports needing 11 billion baht in compensation for the line's operations every year. Mr Suriya last year floated the idea of collecting a congestion fee from private vehicles to fund the subsidy. This approach has been adopted in many cities around the world including London and Singapore but unfortunately did not pan out. His plan to pass a law to create a common ticketing system for electric trains also failed to gain traction. Consumers, of course, have been waiting for more than a decade for governments to develop a convenient ticketing system that works on subways and skytrains without incurring extra fees when they switch between the two. Yet the bigger question is whether the fare cap helps improve connectivity and convenience over the mass transport system, or is just a populist handout intended to appease voters? Unfortunately, the fare cap works like a short-term painkiller to ease the cost of living. There is no systematic or follow-up plan to improve connectivity and the quality of public bus services that will feed commuters to city trains and subways. Without better connectivity between city trains, subways and public buses, the fare cap will only encourage some people, perhaps not many, to leave their cars at home and use state-provided mass transit. The government deserves praise for trying to fulfil its pledge and help cut transport costs. But what the public want is a sustainable model that makes public transport accessible and ensures its quality. A fare cap subsidy which comes and goes at the will of elected politicians is not that.
Otago Daily Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Call for road tax money to go back into region
An Ashburton man wants more road taxes generated in the district to be spent locally - and the South Island minister says he will look at the proposal. Jeff Ryan, who has said he will run for mayor, has filed a petition to the House of Representatives calling for 'road user charges and fuel excise tax paid in a region be left in that region to pay for roading infrastructure projects and other vital projects'. 'I believe that road user charges and fuel excise tax should be used to pay for roading within the region it was paid. 'Councils are reliant on ratepayers to pay for roads. 'I feel ratepayers can't afford it, and this is stifling economic growth in our towns.' Ryan said working out the finer details wasn't up to him, he just wants to push for more funding for the regional roads rather than 'Auckland's slush fund'. 'It's not fair on councils to keep footing the bill for roading when people in their region have already paid for it by road user tax or fuel tax.' A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport said there are 'no current plans to move to a system in which RUC and FED are used only in the region in which they were paid'. Ryan hopes to change that through his petition, which is open for signatures until October 31. There is a one-signature minimum requirement for a petition to be presented to Parliament, and an MP needs to accept it for it to be presented to the House. Once presented, it is referred to the petitions committee which then decides where the petition should go. South Island Minister and Rangitata MP James Meager said he has not been contacted to present the petition. 'I will consider it but want to be clear that I am not preferencing any particular candidate or endorsing the proposal. 'As local MP, presenting petitions is part of the role.' He described land transport revenue as 'often lumpy'. 'Investment may be higher in some regions for a period of time and then lower in future to allow a focus on investment in different locations. 'The transport network provides economic benefits on a national level that do not necessarily accrue to the region where the investment is made. 'There would be administrative and implementation challenges in more closely aligning regional revenue and expenditure.' He provided the example that it's difficult to assign FED and RUC to a particular region 'as we do not have good data on vehicle movements at this level of granularity and there would likely be data quality issues between regions'. 'There's also the issue of what do you do for regions where perhaps the excise and RUCs are collected elsewhere, but the wear and tear on the roads is still happening. 'Ultimately, we need to invest in the infrastructure that we need as a country not just as a region.' The disparity of road funding has been highlighted by Canterbury mayors. According to Canterbury Mayoral Forum figures, Canterbury represents around 12% of New Zealand's population, contributes12% of national GDP, and has over 16% of the national roading network. The region only received 6% of the NZTA funding in the 2023/24 year. Figure from NZTA show the national total of road user charges and fuel excise duty collected was $3.735 billion in 2023/24. In the 2024/25-year (with some claims still to be finalised), NZTA has funded $2.5billion to territorial authorities, which excludes State Highways and KiwiRail funding, contributing to a total spend (local share plus NZTA share) of $4.5billion. Canterbury councils received $171,941,592 of NZTA funding, or 6%, which contributed to an overall total spend of $318,422,870. At a more local level, the Selwyn District Council's annual plan pointed to a funding disparity. The document states that NZTA spent $105m in Selwyn over the past 10 years, 'which is less than $150 per capita each year compared to a national average of $950 each year'. 'If NZTA investment had been consistent around the country, over $500m in additional transport projects would have been funded in Selwyn over the last 10 years.' Mayor Sam Broughton said New Zealand needs to upgrade its road funding model and 'move to electronic RUC for all vehicles to pay for the roads we use'. 'Otherwise, the burden just falls back on ratepayers—and that's not sustainable.' The issues with the current road funding model is most noticeable in Canterbury he said. 'Our roads carry 15% of the vehicle kilometres travelled but received just 5% of national road funding. 'Every other region receives its percentage share of the national fund from central government in line with the amount of travel on their roads.' He said Selwyn is 'feeling the pressure of the co-funding we get from the government for our roads not keeping up with their cost or use'. 'We maintain over 2,500 km of roads and more than 120 bridges. 'In the past three years, the cost to maintain and upgrade these has jumped by up to 40% in some cases. But the funding hasn't increased to match that. 'This puts us in tough positions, like having to choose between making safety upgrades outside schools or fixing dangerous intersections.' Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said, with the fourth largest roading network in the country, he feels Mid Canterbury is missing out. 'We are underfunded and the statistics show that.' He said that keeping road taxes in the region of origin is one option, one that has been raised before, and while it may improve the situation for Ashburton, it would create issues for others. 'Canterbury would certainly win from it as there is a lot of money spent on fuel tax here that never comes back. 'But we are one big country and there are other areas that have a low spend and big road network that would miss out. 'It needs to be a combination of thing to even things out' How does it work? Road TaxesThe spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport explained that revenue collected from Road User Charges and Fuel Excise Duty goes into the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) – a dedicated fund to maintain, improve, and build new roads, as well as funding public transport, road safety, and walking and cycling. 'The Government's approach to land transport expenditure is based on revenue being invested in projects that deliver the highest national benefit, while giving consideration to regional priorities.'
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Four firms appointed for private vehicle ownership inspections in Malaysia
PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Transport has appointed four companies to conduct Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre (PPKM) services specifically for Change of Ownership Inspections (M.V.15) for private vehicles. Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook stated that this move aims to expand inspection service availability and ease public access. Previously, vehicle owners had only one option—PUSPAKOM—for mandatory inspections before selling or buying used cars. With the new appointments, the public can choose from multiple service providers, reducing congestion at existing centres. The four selected companies are Carro Technology Sdn Bhd, Carsome Academy Sdn Bhd, Wawasan Bintang Sdn Bhd, and Beriman Gold Sdn Bhd. The decision follows a Cabinet Meeting agreement in March 2023 to open vehicle inspection services to qualified firms under the Road Transport Act 1987. Each company has 12 months to meet licensing conditions, including a minimum paid-up capital of RM1 million, local ownership, and facility readiness. The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will monitor compliance before granting operating licenses. Key requirements include infrastructure development, inspection equipment, MySIKAP system integration, and JPJ-accredited inspectors. Companies involved in used car sales must maintain dedicated inspection lanes and staff, adhering to ISO/IEC 17020:2012 standards. Loke emphasised that expanding PPKM services promotes competition and improves inspection quality for road safety. The shift from a single-player concession to a multi-licensing system aligns with current policies. The ministry may also consider mandatory motorcycle inspections for ownership transfers in the future. - Bernama
The Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Selangor MB clarifies SIP operator selection via open tender involving 26 firms
SHAH ALAM: Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has reiterated that the selection of Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd as the operator for the Smart Intelligent Parking System (SIP) followed an open tender process. The appointment was made after a thorough evaluation involving 26 companies that responded to the Request for Proposal (RFP). Amirudin explained that Selangor Menteri Besar (Incorporated) or MBI conducted a verification process before shortlisting eligible candidates for state government approval. 'MBI prioritises the state's interests and does not grant full control to any party,' he said after the 2025 Selangor Platform Strategic Partner Synergy and Appreciation Ceremony (PLATS). The statement comes amid public concerns over the legality of privatising public car parks, which fall under the Ministry of Transport's jurisdiction. Local councils are delegated to manage parking enforcement and fee collection under Section 72 of the Road Transport Act 1987. The SIP aims to streamline parking fee collections across local authorities, starting with Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) from August 1. The system targets low compliance rates, currently at 30%, while addressing issues like double parking and weak enforcement. Revenue distribution will allocate 40% to local councils, 10% to MBI, and 50% to the concessionaire handling collections and enforcement. Amirudin noted that the percentage could be renegotiated, considering the company's high operational costs, including CCTV installation. 'The tender process was transparent, with 26 firms evaluated before final selection,' he added. – Bernama
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia reviews six maritime laws to boost industry competitiveness
PETALING JAYA: The Ministry of Transport is reviewing six key maritime laws to modernise Malaysia's shipping sector and align regulations with current industry demands. Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed the review includes the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and related Sabah and Sarawak ordinances. A special committee chaired by Federal Court Judge Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan will oversee the legislative updates. The proposed amendments are expected to reach Parliament within a year. Loke clarified that the revisions aim to harmonise laws across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak without undermining state rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The review covers the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960 (Sabah), Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960 (Sarawak), Penang Port Commission Act 1955, Port Authorities Act 1963, and the Port (Privatisation) Act 1990. Loke stressed that the federal government has no plans to take over Sabah and Sarawak's maritime authority. Separately, the ministry plans to introduce the Admiralty Bill this year to establish a specialised maritime court. Currently, shipping disputes are handled by the High Court. The new court would streamline maritime case resolutions. – Bernama
