KUALA LUMPUR – Netizens have called for the improvement of public transportation in the country as a solution to alleviate congestion, instead of opting for the construction of elevated highways.
This was in response to a question posed by Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof on X yesterday, asking public opinion on the construction of an elevated highway along the Federal Highway to alleviate traffic congestion.
His post read: “In the 90s, I commuted to work from Shah Alam to Petaling Jaya, and the congestion was not as severe as it is now. It’s about time the Federal Highway had an elevated highway as an alternative route. Do you agree?”
The post garnered 269,900 views, 287 replies and 402 reposts as of press time with the majority expressing disagreement towards elevated highways and advocating for improved public transportation.
Several netizens expressed that public transportation services here should emulate those in foreign countries.
Meanwhile, others advocated work-from-home policies to reduce the number of vehicles on roads.
User @abdulazizkadir said that a regulation is needed to bar motorists from driving into cities, instead encouraging them to take public transportation. However, the services must be reliable, especially buses.
“I was in Brussels, Luxembourg and other cities in Europe recently. I only wish we could have efficient public transportation like these cities,” he said.
Another user @mrsydrfi said Damansara is a prove that elevated highways are not the solution for traffic congestion.
Meanwhile, X user @unomuniro commented: “…just because there is congestion, it does not mean that we need to construct more highways. Improve public transport, advocate for work from home, push for more flexible working hours.
Another account, @zukociii, remarked that “there is no need for elevated highways. Constructing a highway will not address the congestion issue. Instead, consider investing in enhanced public transportation. I am willing to utilise public transport and am indeed a regular user of it.” – March 8, 2024