KUALA LUMPUR: A sustainable transportation system with minimal impact to the environment and natural resources is among the priorities outlined under the National Transport Policy (NTP) 2019-2030.
Under the fourth thrust of the policy, which is to advance towards green transport ecosystem, five strategies have been outlined to address pollution from all modes of transport.
According to the policy book, the first strategy includes to enforce compliance with environmental acts or regulations and shift towards international environmental standards.
This is important as in areas where standards and regulations are available, there are issues on the level of compliance due to poor awareness and lack of enforcement of regulations.
The second strategy involves the aim of making public transport network as the fundamental structure in urban planning.
“Best practices from around the world show that town planning must be integrated seamlessly with public transport development. This is becoming especially relevant as cities and population in Malaysia continue to grow,” the document said.
The third strategy aims at accelerating the implementation of low carbon mobility initiatives by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector.
“Private transportation has led the way in developing low carbon alternatives such as hybrid and electric vehicles. This, in turn, has spread to the commercial sector. Future policies take into account the need to increase the adoption rate of low carbon initiatives as well as planning for future infrastructure to minimise unsustainable consumption patterns,” it said.
Meanwhile, the fourth strategy is to institute measures to control pollution, noise and waste from the transport sector, while the last and fifth strategy is to develop effective communication, education and public awareness to create a behavioural change, it added. — Bernama
