A Transport Masterplan for Sabah

I have elaborated in my previous article on the setting up of a Sabah Logistics Council (SLC). This is a critical precursor towards a transport masterplan for the state. I am now attempting to fast forward a situation where on the successful setting up of the SLC, what would it take to bring us to a transport masterplan. 

A transport masterplan is a comprehensive and long-term strategy that outlines the vision, goals, and objectives for the development and management of a transportation system within a specific region or city. The underlying factors considered in formulating a transport masterplan can vary depending on the local context and specific needs, but here are some common factors:

 

1.     Population Growth: Understanding the projected population growth in the area is crucial as it directly impacts transportation demand. The masterplan should account for the anticipated increase in residents and their commuting patterns.

2.     Existing Infrastructure: Evaluating the current transportation infrastructure, including roads, highways, railways, airports, and public transit systems, helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas in need of improvement or expansion.

3.     Mobility Patterns: Analysing existing travel patterns, including commuting flows, peak travel times, and traffic congestion hotspots, provides insights into the current transportation needs and challenges. This information can guide the development of strategies to enhance mobility and reduce congestion.

4.     Land Use and Urban Planning: Coordinating transportation planning with land use and urban planning is crucial. Integrating transportation considerations into land use decisions helps create walkable neighbourhoods, encourages transit-oriented development, and reduces the need for long-distance travel.

5.     Environmental Sustainability: Promoting sustainable transportation solutions is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and minimizing the environmental impact of the transport system. The masterplan should incorporate strategies to encourage the use of public transit, walking, cycling, and electric vehicles.

6.     Economic Development: Recognizing the role of transportation in supporting economic growth is important. The masterplan should consider the transportation needs of businesses, industrial areas, commercial centres, and logistics hubs to ensure efficient freight movement and facilitate trade.

7.     Technological Advancements: Keeping abreast of emerging technologies and transportation innovations is crucial for a forward-looking masterplan. This includes considering intelligent transportation systems, electric and autonomous vehicles, mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms, and data-driven approaches to optimize transportation operations.

8.     Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging with various stakeholders, including government agencies, transportation operators, community organizations, businesses, and the general public, ensures that the masterplan reflects diverse perspectives, needs, and aspirations. Collaborative decision-making and input from stakeholders can lead to more effective and widely accepted transportation solutions.

9.     Funding and Resources: Developing a realistic financial framework to support the implementation of the masterplan is essential. Assessing available funding sources, potential public-private partnerships, and exploring innovative financing mechanisms can help ensure the feasibility and sustainability of the proposed transportation initiatives.

 

By considering these underlying factors, a transport masterplan can guide the development of a transportation system that is efficient, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of the community it serves and for improvement of the supply chain industry in general. 

There are many examples of transportation master plans in our country. For instance:

•           Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) is a comprehensive and well-connected transport strategy that sets the framework for an integrated and modern transport system in Penang, Malaysia. It covers both land and sea, comprising various transportation systems and services such as an elevated light rail transit (LRT) line, bus rapid transit (BRT), tram, taxi, e-hailing, ferry and water taxi.

•           National Transportation Master Plan (NTMP) is a policy document that guides the development of the logistics industry in Malaysia to further improve its productivity and competitiveness with the vision to become “The Preferred Logistics Gateway to Asia”. The NTMP outlines five strategic shifts and 21 action items to be implemented.

•           National Transport Policy (NTP) 2019-2030 is an overarching policy that provides direction for relevant federal ministries and agencies as well as state governments and local authorities in Malaysia to develop and streamline transport initiatives towards a common goal. The NTP aims to enhance mobility for all Malaysians while ensuring environmental sustainability. 

As for now the overall situation in the state as regards the logistics and transport industry is as follows:

1.     Sabah lacks the basic transport and logistics infrastructure to serve its economics needs. There is a need to put things in perspective before we can embark upon a comprehensive masterplan.

2.     There is critical need for data support for any planning to take place. Data from the supply chain industry is crucial towards any planning efforts to take place.

3.     The need to set up a body such as a Sabah Logistics Council (SLC) is crucial to take stock of things and to put things in perspective to enable analysis of the status of ongoing activities.

4.     There is no coordinating body to address issues faced by the industry especially of logistics players in providing efficient services. This is where the SLC role will serve as a one roof institution to collect data and information and to harness them and recommend for ways of resolving them.

5.     The prime objective is to put things in perspective so that we can put up the basic needs of the economy which is to facilitate trade.

6.     With trade facilitation mechanism in place, it would be timely for a Transport Masterplan to be mooted.

7.     It is therefore crucial that all stakeholders need to play their roles to ensure that we have the necessary data collected and collated to move forward efficiently.

These are crucial needs towards an eventual transport masterplan for Sabah. With a masterplan we should then be able to steer and facilitate trade and the economy in a planned and sustainable manner. This way we will be better able to channel the finances towards a cohesive transport infrastructure development. Budgeting towards harnessing transport needs of the community will be well directed towards a cohesive transport infrastructure development and improve mobility and improving the supply chain economy.

We take note of two master plans, namely the Kota Kinabalu Public Transport Master Plan and the Traffic Improvement and Urban Transport Master Plan for Kota Kinabalu Central Business District (CBD), which will complement the bigger picture of a grand masterplan. It is therefore timely that we take such plans to a higher level covering a broader perspective of the logistics and transport industry to work towards an efficient, productive and sustainable economy for the whole state.

END.