Expert warns Klang Valley traffic spike is not solely due to public transport changes; careful transition and commuter confidence are key.
PETALING JAYA: Recent traffic congestion in the Klang Valley has sparked public debate, but an expert warned that it is too early to pin the spike solely on changes to public transport routes.
Transport think-tank MY Mobility Vision CEO Wan Md Hazlin Agyl Wan Hassan said traffic conditions in the region are influenced by multiple structural factors, including high vehicle ownership, peak-hour concentrations, roadworks, weather patterns, school term cycles, and daily incidents.
“It would be premature to directly attribute the recent congestion spike solely to ongoing public transport adjustments. A short-term deterioration over a week does not establish causation and should be assessed over a longer observation window,” he said.
Wan Md Hazlin explained that public transport networks operate within a behavioural ecosystem.
“When major trunk routes — which function as backbone services — are redesigned, commuter confidence becomes a key variable. If passengers experience additional transfers, longer waiting times, or uncertainty during the transition, even temporarily, some may opt for private vehicles,” he added.
He said that in highly saturated urban road networks like the Klang Valley, even a small increase in peak-hour private car usage can noticeably impact congestion.
“The issue is not whether restructuring is inherently right or wrong — periodic optimisation is necessary as cities evolve — but how well the transition is managed,” he said.
For longer-distance routes connecting key residential and employment hubs, such as Putrajaya Sentral–Bandar Utama and Klang–Sunway Pyramid, Wan Md Hazlin said the effect will largely depend on whether rail plus feeder services deliver comparable travel time reliability, capacity, and predictability.
“If rail capacity is sufficient and feeder or on-demand services operate consistently during peak demand, commuter adaptation is usually manageable. But if there’s a temporary mismatch between demand and supply, adjustment discomfort can occur,” he said.
He stressed the importance of a data-driven approach.
“Publishing comparative ridership trends, load factors, and travel time reliability before and after implementation would help ground public discussion in evidence rather than perception. Continuous monitoring and flexibility to make tactical adjustments during the early weeks are also critical.”
Overall, Wan Md Hazlin emphasised that it is far too early to blame recent congestion solely on public transport changes.
“Transport systems are complex ecosystems, and outcomes usually reflect multiple interacting factors rather than a single change. The focus should be on evidence, careful transition management, and maintaining commuter confidence,” he said.
The Sun Malaysia
