New development in KL depends on TIA - Ramkarpal Singh

KUALA LUMPUR: Any future development to be implemented in the federal capital will depend on the outcome of a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) being carried out in an effort to address traffic congestion due to population growth.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Legal and Institutional Reforms) Ramkarpal Singh said the TIA being carried out covers various aspects, including the current operating conditions of roads or current level of service (LOS) and future traffic projections.

"Based on future traffic projections, infrastructure improvements will be recommended. In addition, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has a more comprehensive and integrated traffic planning as a long-term solution to deal with the congestion problem.

"DBKL is also focusing on the development of user-friendly, efficient and easily accessible public transportation to achieve the target of 70 per cent public transport use by 2040," he said during the oral answer session in the Dewan Rakyat here today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH-Balik Pulau) regarding the ministry's efforts to face the challenges of continuous development in Kuala Lumpur with an increasing population growth rate.

According to Ramkarpal Singh, various efforts have also been carried out, such as introducing the GOKL bus services, special bus routes, bicycle routes, pedestrian routes and access to route information and current bus services through digital applications.

To a supplementary question from Zakri Hassan (PN-Kangar) on efforts by the government to overcome the problem of flash floods in Kuala Lumpur, Ramkarpal said the matter was taken into account in the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 (PSKL2040) which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently.

"PSKL2040 takes into account current and future changes such as climate change, economy, demographics, lifestyle and Kuala Lumpur's infrastructure in the face of international competition in the 21st century. So the flood issue is also taken into account under PSKL204," he added.

-- BERNAMA