[sustran] Parking and transport issues

RVerzola RVerzola at phil.gn.apc.org
Wed Jun 4 02:27:10 JST 1997


I picked up this interesting item from our local news. -- Obet

              Traffic problems? Scrap parking facilities
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP)-The Malaysian government, searching
for ways to ease worsening traffic in the capital, will allow building
operators to reduce or scrap parking bays to force motorists to take
public transport.

    The New Straits Times said the other day that cabinet decided on
the move as a sign of the government's seriousness in promoting public
transport, es specially the new light rail transit system.

    New buildings would no longer be required to allocate parking
spaces, while existing buildings would be allowed to reduce their
parking bays.

    Kuala Lumpur's traffic woes are already being compared to
Bangkok's legendary gridlock. Malaysia's nearly decade-long economic
boom and successful car manufacturing program have led to an explosion
in auto ownership here.

    Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik said the policy of allowing
building operators to reduce or abolish parking slots would be
implemented next year or early 1999 depending on the progress of
alternative transport projects.

    "Even now it is gradually being implemented and ongoing building
projects have had their parking spaces cut down," Ling was quoted as
saying.

    The decision to make it tougher for motorists to find parking
space was made after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called for the
speedy construction of major infrastructure projects when he
inaugurated the new Kuala Lumpur central train station on Tuesday.

    Until the policy reversal, Malaysian authorities made it mandatory
for buildings to have sufficient parking space or face hefty fines.

    Line said parking rates in the city may also be raised, and street
parking could eventually be phased out to allow the widening of the
capital's arteries, the report said.

    Motor vehicle sales in Malaysia surged 27.6 percent year-onyear to
a record 364,788 units in 1996. The country's Japanese-derived
"national car," the Proton, led sales with 176,100 units.



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