Examining The Effectiveness of Public Transportation Usage and Its Impacts on Road Congestion in Kuala Lumpur

This study examines the effectiveness of public transportation usage and its impact on road congestion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The research was conducted in response to persistent traffic congestion in the city and the continued reliance on private vehicles despite substantial investment in public transportation infrastructure. The study pursued four objectives: (1) to identify the level of road congestion in Kuala Lumpur; (2) to examine the relationship between the effectiveness of public transportation usage measured in accessibility, punctuality, quality, infrastructure, time consumption, cost, and environmental on road congestion in Kuala Lumpur; (3) to determine the most contributing factors on the road congestion in Kuala Lumpur; and (4) to investigate the challenges faced by the public regarding the use of public transportation. A mixed-methods research design was collected through a questionnaire distributed to public transportation users in Kuala Lumpur, particularly around Kuala Lumpur Sentral, while qualitative insights were obtained from transportation authorities and relevant literature studies. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation analysis, and Multiple Regression analysis. The findings indicate that Kuala Lumpur experiences a high level of road congestion. Accessibility, punctuality, quality of service, and infrastructure were found to have a significant relationship with road congestion, with accessibility and infrastructure emerging as the strongest contributing factors influencing public transportation usage. Time consumption and cost efficiency also affected commuters’ willingness to shift from private vehicles to public transportation. In addition, respondents identified inadequate connectivity, unreliable feeder bus services, insufficient parking facilities, and long travel times as major challenges in using public transportation. In conclusion, enhancing the accessibility, reliability, quality, and integration of public transportation can encourage a modal shift from private vehicles to public transit, thereby reducing road congestion and supporting more sustainable urban mobility in Kuala Lumpur.

Public transportation effectiveness, Road congestion, Kuala Lumpur

1. Abd Rahman, N. A., & Abdullah, Y. A. (2016). Theorising the Concept of Urban Public Transportation Institutional Framework in Malaysia. MATEC Web of Conferences, 66, 00043. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166600043 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Abd Rahman, N. A., Abdullah, Y. A., Nasrudin, N., & Mohd Yusoff, Z. (2018). Assessing Urban Public Transportation Institutional Framework in Klang Valley. Planning Malaysia Journal, 16(7). https://doi.org/10.21837/pmjournal.v16.i7.504 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Aftabuzzaman, M., Currie, G., & Sarvi, M. (2010). Evaluating the Congestion Relief Impacts of Public Transport in Monetary Terms. Journal of Public Transportation, 13(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.5038/2375-0901.13.1.1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Albalate, D., & Fageda, X. (2019). Congestion, Road Safety, and the Effectiveness of Public Policies in Urban Areas. Sustainability, 11(18), 5092. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185092 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Ambak, K., Ismail, R., Hafezi, H., & Mohd Nor, R. (2012). Passengers Preference and Satisfaction of Public Transport in Malaysia. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 6(8), 410-416. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Anuar, J., Saien, S., Abd, S., Dziatul, N. D., & Nazriah, W. (2023). Examining Safety & Security, Reliability and Punctuality of Public Transportation Quality Services: Cases of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Technology Management, 5(S1), 116–125. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Barter, P. A. (2004). Transport, urban structure and “lock-in” in the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area. International Development Planning Review, 26(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Bernama. (2023, November 13). Slow-moving traffic on major highways. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/11/977946/slow-moving-traffic-major-highways [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Borhan, M. N., Syamsunur, D., Mohd Akhir, N., Mat Yazid, M. R., Ismail, A., & Rahmat, R. A. (2014). Predicting the Use of Public Transportation: A Case Study from Putrajaya, Malaysia. The Scientific World Journal, 2014, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/784145 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Carvalho, M., Syguiy, T., & Silva, D. N. e. (2015). Efficiency and Effectiveness Analysis of Public Transport of Brazilian Cities. Journal of Transport Literature, 9(3), 40–44. https://doi.org/10.1590/2238-1031.jtl.v9n3a8 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Chia, C. H. (2024). Building More Highways Won’t Solve Traffic Problems. Bernama. https://www.bernama.com/en/thoughts/news.php?id=2375236 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2024). Number of Population in Kuala Lumpur. Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Report. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Diana, M., & Daraio, C. (2014). Evaluating The Effectiveness of Public Transport Operations: A Critical Review and Some Policy Indicators. International Journal of Transport Economics / Rivista Internazionale Di Economia Dei Trasporti, 41(1), 75–107. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Dut, V. (2017). Accessibility And Connectivity Challenges of Mass Rapid Transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Malaysia Sustainable Cities Program, Working Paper Series Accessibility and Connectivity Challenges of Mass Rapid Transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://malaysiacities.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/dut.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Eboli, L., Forciniti, C., & Mazzulla, G. (2014). Service coverage factors affecting bus transit system availability. Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences, 111(16). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Hair Jr., J. F. (2015). The Essentials of Business Research Methods. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716862 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Hayes, A. (2023). What Modes Mean in Statistics. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mode.asp [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Ho, P. W., Ismail, S., & Rajagopal, P. (2017). Parking Space Occupancy at Rail Stations in Klang Valley. MATEC Web of Conferences, 103(09008). https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201710309008 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Hoo, W., Waheeda, A., & Reesha, A. (2023). Factors Influencing the Passenger Satisfaction at Public Transport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Journal of Project Management Practice (JPMP), 3(1), 77–94. https://doi.org/10.22452/jpmp.vol3no1.4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Ibrahim, A. N. H., Borhan, M. N., Osman, M. H., Khairuddin, F. H., & Zakaria, N. M. (2022). An Empirical Study of Passengers’ Perceived Satisfaction with Monorail Service Quality: Case of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sustainability, 14(11), 6496. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116496 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Irtema, H. M., Ismail, A., Borhan, M. N., Das, A. M., & Alshetwi, A. B. Z. (2018). Case study of the behavioural intentions of public transportation passengers in Kuala Lumpur. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 6(4), 462–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2018.05.007 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Jilani, U., Asif, M., Zia, M. I., Rashid, M., Shams, S., & Otero, P. (2023). A Systematic Review on Urban Road Traffic Congestion. Wireless Personal Communications, 140, 81-109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-023-10700-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Kamarudin, H., Kadir, S.A., Alias, R., & Othman, R.D. (2023). Transportation Barriers Confronted by Mobility- Challenged Travellers in Klang Valley. Planning Malaysia Journal, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i26.1274 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Kåresdotter, E., Page, J., Mörtberg, U., Näsström, H., & Kalantari, Z. (2022). First Mile/Last Mile Problems in Smart and Sustainable Cities: A Case Study in Stockholm County. Journal of Urban Technology, 29(2), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2022.2033949 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Kuyer, M. D. (2023, November 7). Challenges Faced by Malaysia’s Public Transportation System. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/challenges-faced-malaysias-public-transportation-system-de-kuyer-3tl5c [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Li, Z., & Hensher, D. (2013). Crowding in Public Transport: A Review of Objective and Subjective Measures. Journal of Public Transportation, 16(2), 107–134. https://doi.org/10.5038/2375-0901.16.2.6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Liew, D. (2024, June 4). Don’t just talk about traffic congestion – solve it! Free Malaysia Today. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2024/06/04/dont-just-talk-about-traffic-congestion-solve-it/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Lim, A. (2024, January 23). Gov’t committed to solving the KL traffic congestion issue. Paul Tan’s Automotive News. https://paultan.org/2024/01/23/govt-committed-to-solving-kl-traffic-congestion-issue/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Loh, J., & Malik, A. S. A. (2022, October 15). “Why are our trains still so packed during peak hours?” Focus Malaysia. https://focusmalaysia.my/why-are-our-trains-still-so-packed-during-peak-hours/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Majid, R. A., Said, R., Mohamad, N., Abdullah, J., & Ngah, R. (2020, December 4). The Impact of Time Attribute on Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) Ridership in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Science Research, 2(4), 338-349. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Majid, R. A., Said, R., Sahray, K., Mustafar, S., & Kaspin, M. (2022). Towards Sustainable Public Transportation Cost in Malaysia. IOP Conference Series: Earthand EnvironmentalScience, 1067(1), 012017. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1067/1/012017 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM). (2023). Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia. Official Government Website. https://www.llm.gov.my/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Mohamed, A. H., Adwan, I. A. I., Ahmeda, A. G. F., Hrtemih, H., & Al-MSari, H. (2021). Identification of Affecting Factors on the Travel Time Reliability for Bus Transportation. Knowledge-Based Engineering and Sciences, 2(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.51526/kbes.2021.2.1.19-30 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Mohd Din, M. A., Karim, M. R., & Saritha, P. (2009). The Aspect of Walking Accessibility in The Development of GIS-Based Transit System Modelling in Kuala Lumpur. https://icaci.org/files/documents/ICC_proceedings/ICC2009/html/refer/5_7.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Mohd Zahari, H., Ismail, A., Baker, R., & Mohd Saudi, N. S. (2024). Readiness of Implementing Vehicle End-of-Life Policy: A Case Study from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Future Cities and Environment, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/fce.218 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Moosavi, S. M. H., Aghaabbasi, M., Choon, W. Y., & Armaghani, D. J. (2023). Evaluation of Applicability and Accuracy of Bus Travel Time Prediction in High and Low Frequency Bus Routes Using Tree-Based ML Techniques. Journal of Soft Computing in Civil Engineering, 7(2), 74–97. https://doi.org/10.22115/SCCE.2023.356348.1503 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Mustapha, N. F. (2024). Urban mobility challenges in Malaysian Cities. Khazanah Research Institute, 37(24). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Natividad, N. (2020, December 21). Malaysia Invested a Lot on Its Trains. Why Aren’t More People Using Them? https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3gnnv/malaysia-train-mrt-traffic-public-transportation-problem [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Nazri, M. B., Ibrahim, A. N. H., Syamsunur, D., & Rahmat, R. A. (2019). Why Public Bus is a Less Attractive Mode of Transport: A Case Study of Putrajaya, Malaysia. Periodica Polytechnical Transportation Engineering, 47(1), 82–90. https://doi.org/10.3311/pptr.9228 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Ngah, R., Putih, L., Mat, A., Abdullah, J., & Majid, R. A. (2020). View of Moderating Effect of Service Quality on Public Transport Travel Behaviour and Antecedents. Journal of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, 18(4), 80–91. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Nur Fazzillah, M. N., Marizwan, M. A., & Yusof, G. (2022). View of Factors Influencing Public Transport Use: A Study of Klang Valley Commuters’ Information System Tools. Journal of Advanced Vehicle System, 13(1), 8–22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. OKU Rights Matters. (2023, October 7). Public Transport - OKU Rights Matter. https://okurightsmatter.com/public-transport/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Ong, J. Y. (2022). Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: A Study of MyRapid in Malaysia. International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality in Asia Pacific, 5(3), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.32535/ijthap.v5i3.1904 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Onn, C. C., Karim, M. R., & Yusoff, S. (2014). Mode Choice between Private and Public Transport in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The Scientific World Journal, 2014, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/394587 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Prasarana Malaysia. (2025, January 2). Prasarana Malaysia Berhad Official Corporate Website. Prasarana Malaysia Berhad. https://www.prasarana.com.my/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Prasarana's Ridership. (2024). Prasarana’s Ridership. MyRapid. https://myrapid.com.my/bus-train/ridership/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Ramli, R., Zainol, R., & Yaacob, N. (2023). Perception Of Persons with Abilities Groups on Accessibility and Connectivity of Public Transportation Infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. International Journal of Property Sciences (E-ISSN: 2229-8568), 13(1), 65–91. https://doi.org/10.22452/ijps.vol13no1.5 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Reporters, F. M. T. (2023, August 14). Lack of punctuality main complaint among public transportusers, survey shows. FreeMalaysia Today (FMT). https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/08/14/lack-of-punctuality-main-complaint-among-public-transport-users-says-poll/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Seco, Á., & Gonçalves, J. (2007). The quality of public transport: relative importance of different performance indicators and their potential to explain modal choice. WIT Transactionson theBuiltEnvironment, 96. https://doi.org/10.2495/ut070301 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2010). Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building Approach. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. https://9afi.com/storage/daftar/onTXVlzEDQNtC4khg3Yklhj0g5V5wyFsQqNDZOpL.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Shahidan, A. A., & Shafie, F. A. (2020). Urban Metabolism and Transportation Assessment of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Planning Malaysia, 18(13). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v18i13.793 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Shamsudin, M. F. (2020). The Effect of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction Towards MyRapid Bus Services. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3812084 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Soo, C. K., Sutan, R., & Hashim, J. H. (2018). Examining the Effect of Service Quality, Impact of Usage and Attitude on the Intention to Use Rail Transit among Motorists in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ISEE Conference Abstracts, 2017(1), 613. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. Syed, A., Bukhari, R., & Ali, M. (2021). Sample Size Determination Using Krejcie and Morgan Table. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11445.19687 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

55. Tan, A., & Looi, J. (2021, February 27). 6 Problems with Public Transportation in Malaysia. Teh Talk. https://tehtalk.com/6-problems-with-public-transportation-in-malaysia/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

56. Teh, E. (2022, July 22). Traffic Congestion in Malaysia and the Lessons We Must Learn. Heinrich Böll Foundation. Southeast Asia Regional Office. Heinrich- Böll-Stiftung. https://th.boell.org/en/2022/07/22/traffic-malaysia [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

57. TomTom Traffic Index. (2022). Kuala Lumpur traffic report. https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/kuala-lumpur-traffic/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

58. U.S. Department of Transportation. (2020, March 23). Public Transit. US Department of Transportation. https://www.transportation.gov/public-transit [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

59. Ubaidillah, N. Z., Sa’ad, N. H., Nordin, N. A., Baharuddin, N. N., Ismail, F., & Hassan, M. K. H. (2022). The Impact of Public Bus Service Quality on the Users’ Satisfaction: Evidence from a Developing Asian City. Review of Applied Socio- Economic Research, 23(1), 83–96. https://doi.org/10.54609/reaser.v23i1.185 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

60. United Nations Habitat. (2024). Urban Performance Index: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. United Nations-Habitat. https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/urbanperformanceindex/downloads/UNH_CityProfile_Kualalumpur.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

61. Yeo, A. (2022, April 15). Improving urban public transportation in Malaysia. EMIR Research. https://www.emirresearch.com/improving-urban-public-transportation-in-malaysia/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Decadal Overview of Welfare Schemes in Telangana (2014–2024)
• Ubuntu and the Missed Development Goals in the Global South: Rethinking MDGs and SDGs through an African Philosophical Lens
• Exploring the Factors of Obesity: Insights from Johor State Civil Servants
• Navigating the Nexus: Challenges Faced by Part-Time Postgraduate Government Employees in Malaysia
• The Lived Experiences of Skilled Filipino Women Immigrants in Denmark