IRDA on the way towards sustainable mobility

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 -- The Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), the master planner of Iskandar Malaysia, said city planning is an important aspect that has been looked into as it seeks to tackle urban issues ranging from the lack of sustainable mobility to economic imbalance.

IRDA chief executive Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, in his talk at the City Expo Malaysia’s Star Talk series on Aug 19, said the authority's planning is aligned with the need to support national goals, especially in pushing for sustainable mobility.

“Connectivity is one of the major aspects that need to be improved so that goods and people will be able to move seamlessly, which then would be able to create an ecosystem to attract the right and impactful investment," he said in a statement.

He said in creating a good metropolis, the importance of connectivity is of paramount importance, with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system being one of the smart mobility initiatives rolled out by IRDA.

Since the inception of Iskandar Malaysia, the coverage of public transport is less than 35 per cent of the geographical area, and the goal is to increase the coverage to about 90 per cent, he added.

“BRT would be the game-changer. We are looking to shift the ratio (of trips using private versus public transport) from 85:15 to 70:30 or 50:50 through the completion of the BRT completion, expected by 2023,” he said, adding the buses will also be fully electric to further lower their carbon footprint.

The BRT system would cover a total of 2,043 km with three main lines -- Iskandar Puteri, Skudai and Tebrau, with 44 direct routes and 55 feeder routes.

-- BERNAMA