IT is still too early to assess the effectiveness of the Putrajaya Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in reducing traffic congestion, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

Congestion on major highways at peak hours is still critical, especially in the morning and evening, he said.

“Peak hour congestion, especially during Ramadan, is quite critical… but it is still too early to see the effectiveness of this MRT line to reduce that,” he said.

The Putrajaya MRT line was launched by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and began full operation on March 16.

Speaking in Sepang today, Loke said the target for the Putrajaya Line is 200,000 passengers a day compared to about 80,000 at present.

He said this number was 100,000 a day during the first two weeks, when travelling was free of charge.

“It’s normal because, if it’s free, many people will use it. However, we see the trend of the number of passengers using public transport now continues to increase.

“It will take some time to increase the number of passengers, indeed in all rail services this is a normal thing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Loke said the renewable energy programme initiative will be extended to public transport stations across the country, especially rail.

“This policy will be extended to operators, and in the future we plan to install it in MRT and LRT stations around the Klang Valley,” he said. – Bernama, April 6, 2023.