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by Dr Ahmad Farhan Sadullah

We can view our 50th anniversary of independence from many different perspectives. Malaysia has established its reputation as a leading nation in infrastructure development.

However, as a progressive nation, Malaysia should not be content with past glories, but should learn from past and present shortcomings in order to prepare for the future.

Physically, for example, our country has the required infrastructure for a good transportation system. We have one of the most extensive highway networks which has been well planned to serve both travel and socio-economic objectives. Cities like Kuala Lumpur have urban rail systems, and our ports support a thriving logistics industry around the clock.

However, let us not deceive ourselves by believing that infrastructure alone is sufficient. In any public service sector, infrastructure will not mean much if operations and maintenance are inadequate and unsatisfactory.

We judge any service based on the “feel-good” factor that we experience, and in order to achieve this, all three elements of infrastructure (both its planning and construction), operation and maintenance must be in place.

The transport system is often taken for granted. In addition to serving the traveling needs of people and goods, transport systems have other far-reaching effects on society, both positive and negative.

On the positive side, an adequate and efficient transport system will always promote growth, help social equity and facilitate the distribution of the nation’s wealth. On the negative, a failed transport system will kill people, cause poor health, pollute, sap energy and hamper productivity.

The term and concept of sustainable transport was coined to ensure that the negative sides of a transport system do not impact society. Sustainable transportation will also ensure that the present transport system will not deprive future livelihood and privileges.

Sustainable transport ensures a three-pronged approach involving social, economic and environmental objectives. Let us look at our record. In terms of safety, Malaysia is not doing too well.

Despite the statistics showing that we have stabilised in terms of our safety performance, we still have too many to ignore. We need to further improve our safety record in order to ensure that the safety aspect of our transportation is sustainable.

We also need to scrutinise the extent of public transport usage in the country. Public transport utilisation is a very important indicator for sustainable transport because it reduces the use of private cars, especially for essential and routine trips like going to work. Increased private car usage correlates with the number of vehicles on the road, and this is not sustainable. So, where does Malaysia stand?

We do see a different public transport culture in the Klang Valley compared with the rest of the country. In other cities, public transport is confined to users from the lower income group, or in other words, people who cannot afford to purchase their own private vehicle.

Kuala Lumpur has decided to have an integrated public transport system, and since becoming operational, the city has experienced a change in culture. City dwellers now have alternatives for daily travel and this has definitely helped ease congestion.

This is what other cities need, and we wait eagerly for the Penang integrated public transport system, in anticipation that Penang will experience the same effects.

We must also not forget the plight of those living in rural areas. It is only when public transport usage is accepted as a culture throughout the country that we can say that

Malaysia has a satisfactory and sustainable public transport system.

There are, of course, other sustainable transport indicators, such as fuel and energy consumption, land use planning, length of road, pollution emission, travel cost and others. However, let us look at one aspect that may be the root cause of many of the unsustainable practices in Malaysia, which is our attitude which can have an impact on sustainable transport.

The right attitude will make travelers opt for a more sustainable mode of transport, by using public transport. Why? Because public transport uses much less road space compared to the space used by the number of private vehicles needed to transport an equal number of travelers. With fewer cars, energy consumption will lessen, emissions will be reduced, congestion levels will be more tolerable, and safety more ensured.

However, we also need the right attitude in planning for public transportation.

There is no use promoting public transport usage when its service is absent, and its performance quality low. Political will is needed at all levels and our Prime Minister has shown the lead by prioritising public transport in the 9th Malaysia Plan agenda.

In terms of road safety, attitude also matters. With the right attitude, many of the road perils on Malaysian roads will be drastically reduced. Equally, with the right attitude amongst the providers of the transport system, we will see safer designs, higher quality construction and high class maintenance.

Finally, the right attitude among all stakeholders will ensure that transport in Malaysia becomes, and continues to be, sustainable.

It is also clear that it is no longer sufficient to address this issue solely through science and technology. We also need to consider the human engineering aspect, and capitalise on the synergy between science and the arts.

Just as this is now the time to reflect on the past 50 years, so, too, is this the time to ensure that the next 50 years will bring us better returns. This is precisely what sustainable transport and sustainable development mean.

Ahmad Farhan Sadullah is an associate professor at the School of Civil Engineering in Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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