CONGESTION ON THE ROADS OF MALAYSIA
Traffic in Malaysia - is it a lifestyle?
Traffic Congestion
Malaysian driver (Photo from Freepik)
Congestion on the roads of Malaysia has been increasing evidently within the last few years. This has led to Malaysians spending pointless hours on roads, stuck in their cars. The abundant traffic is a direct reflection on the urbanization and economic development of the country.
This has, not only affected time management, but also affected mental and physical health of the people living in the country. Malaysians are constantly seeking for better and faster routes to shorten the time spent on the road. Not to mention, leaving at unusual times, just to not be enslaved to the busy roads in the city. Now the big question, how long would the people living in the country be held captive in this robotic lifestyle?
Most recent statistic on Traffic Congestion (Akhtar, 2024)
Statistics
In 2022, total vehicles found on roads are 1,522,742 and in 2023, total vehicles on roads are 1,533,447. Indicating that there is a 0.7% increase. (Ministry of Transportation Malaysia, 2023)
The number of vehicles per household is 1.72. (Helgi, 2019) Malaysians spend a shocking 166 hours annually driving and 81 hours annually stuck in congestion. (Tomtom, 2024)
Total Vehicles in Malaysia (Ministry of Transportation Malaysia, 2023)
According to recent statistics, registered cars increased by 11.9% from 2022 to 2023. Similarly, rented cars increased by 62.8%. (Ministry of Transportation Malaysia, 2023)
Longest traffic time recorded in Malaysia is 25 hours to travel 252.6km (from Perak to Shah Alam, Malaysia). (Tomtom, 2024)
The worst day to travel in Malaysia is recorded to be on 14th of February. It would take 21 minutes and 40 seconds to travel 10km. (Tomtom, 2024)
Traffic update during off-peak hours. (MYT-5:00a.m.)
Traffic Update during peak hours. (MYT-5:00p.m.)
The Impact
Graph showing the exponential increase in CO 2 emissions in Malaysia per capita. (Photo: Our World In Data) (Ritchie et al., 2020)
Unfortunately, these severe traffic congestions have, not only taken a negative toll on Malaysians, but also greatly impacted Malaysia's environment. An estimate of 856kg of CO2 is emitted annually in Malaysia and 198kg of the CO2 emissions is caused by traffic congestions. (Ritchie et al., 2020)
The constant presence of traffic congestion has reduced the overall quality of life of urban residents in Malaysia. The daily lifestyle of increased frustration, reduced leisure time, stress and noise pollution can result to detrimental effects on well-being and happiness.
Additionally, traffic congestion can demean the attractiveness of the country to tourists and investors, potentially leading to a negative impact on economic development.
(Akhtar, 2024)
Reasons
There are numerous explanations for the rise in traffic congestions in Malaysia, particularly in highly developed areas such as the country’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Here are a few:
Poor road planning - Due to inadequate planning of number of lanes needed on roads and its size leads to bottlenecks arising. Confusing road turnings and poor road quality can lead to further delays and restrictions on the roads.
Car accident in Kuala Lumpur, June 11th, 2022 (Chan, 2022)
Private Vehicle Ownership - The increase in private vehicle ownership results as increase in the number of vehicles on roads, leading to and increase in congestions. Individual vehicle ownership is encouraged in Malaysia due to the incompetent public transport services across the country and limited parking spaces.
Accidents - Malaysia has been experiencing a rise in road accidents. Lack of traffic management and cultural driving habits are both likely explanations to this dreadful outcome. It has been recently reported that every 90 minutes, a life is claimed on the roads of Malaysia. Adding up to a total of 6,067 fatalities in 2022 alone.
(Akhtar, 2024)
Measures Taken
There is Hope
In conclusion, it is clearly stated that the traffic congestion in Malaysia has a significant impact on the standard of living and its environment. As Malaysia continues to develop, searching for effective solutions to reduce congestion will be vital for enhancing the quality of life for Malaysians. With constant effort from the Ministry of Transportation Malaysia (MOT), there might be a foreseeable silver lining to counter this robotic lifestyle.
References
This Story Map was built using ArcGIS StoryMaps.
Ng, J. (2023, October 26). Bridging gaps in public transport. thesun.my. https://thesun.my/opinion-news/bridging-gaps-in-public-transport-HB11670214
Ritchie, H., Roser, M., & Rosado, P. (2020, May 11). Malaysia: CO2 Country Profile. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/malaysia
Akhtar, D. R. (2024, March 26). Reduce traffic congestion. thesun.my. https://thesun.my/opinion-news/reduce-traffic-congestion-MH12261296
Tomtom. (2024, September 30). Kuala Lumpur Traffic Report: Tomtom traffic index. Kuala Lumpur traffic report | TomTom Traffic Index. https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/kuala-lumpur-traffic/
Ministry of Transportation Malaysia, M. (2023). Ministry of Transport Malaysia Official Portal. Ministry of Transport Malaysia. https://www.mot.gov.my/en/media/annual-report/yearly-statistic
Helgi. (2019). Passenger cars per household in Malaysia. Helgi Library. https://www.helgilibrary.com/indicators/passenger-cars-per-household/malaysia/#:~:text=Passenger%20cars%20per%20household%20reached,of%201.000%20vehicles%20in%202003.
Chan, D. (2022, June 11). Four dead, one severely injured in NKVE accident: New Straits Times. NST Online. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/803987/four-dead-one-severely-injured-nkve-accident#google_vignette