Area road pricing (ARP)

[rizalhakim]

Pay to drive in KL?
Azira Shaharuddin



KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists may soon have to dig deeper into their wallets to enter and move within the city centre.

If what is proposed in the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 is approved, drivers entering busy and congested roads will be charged a user fee under an area road pricing (ARP) scheme.

Road users will have to pay varying prices during set operation periods once they have passed certain entry barriers.

The measure is designed to control traffic within the city and achieve more efficient use of road space in a bid to alleviate congestion, reduce travel time and limit air pollution caused by vehicular emissions.


Fourteen roads have been earmarked for the scheme and they include Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Ampang.

The draft plan states that, based on preliminary analysis of existing traffic conditions and future land use, the ARP scheme is expected to reduce private vehicle use by at least 15 per cent in the first year of its introduction.

By 2020, some 400,000 commuters in the city centre are expected to be affected by the move.

However, authorities plan to implement the scheme only after improvements are made on the level of service on designated roads and public transport systems.

Town planner and private traffic consultant Goh Bok Yen said the ARP was a good way to restrict traffic in the city centre, as shown by similar schemes in London and Singapore.

However, he said the authorities needed to ensure that the city has a good public transport system before implementing the scheme.

"If we don't have reliable, good, frequent and safe public transport, then it would have an adverse effect on the city's economy."

Public transport expert Prof Dr Abd Rahim Md Nor said the ARP was a good idea, but should only be implemented when the public transport infrastructure was at its best.

He said it was high time this kind of traffic restraining measures were used, especially with the current spiral in the price of fuel.

[fairul]

as long as Jalan Syed Putra, Tun Razak and Federal highway not on the list..I'm happy with it...

[OshHisham]

i'm a strong advocator for this move. make those cars go away! (of coz except some good looking luxury cars..)

Jalan Chow Kit should be included btw, ...but impossible since the crowds are mostly come from non-rich cityfolks...

[pedang]

ceh.. kena beli motor la.

[lesart]

I have no problem wit this. There's only so much space that KL road can absorb.

BUT...

I think ARP must be complemented by a comprehensive, efficient, and reliable mass-volume public transport, a la Singapore or London.

Otherwise, there will be a lot of angry executives around KL....

[dengilo]

Emm would it be the case if oil is at $200 a barrel?

[rizalhakim]