Budget 2026: Experts Urge Focus On Rail, Safer Streets Over Mega-Projects

As Putrajaya prepares to table Budget 2026, transport experts are urging the government to trade flashy megaprojects for practical fixes that would make public transport more accessible and roads safer.

Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder of think tank My Mobility Vision, told FMT that modest but well-placed investments could deliver a bigger impact on Malaysians’ daily lives than multi-billion ringgit projects.

“I’d like to see the budget’s focus shift from big, shiny projects to small things that can change daily life. Simple investments like continuous shaded walkways, safer crossings, and reliable first- and last-mile connections,” he said.

Wan Agyl argued that new malls and housing projects should not even get the green light unless linked to public transport. Without this, he said, Malaysians are left spending unnecessarily on cars and fuel just to get to work or do basic errands. 

He also called for affordable, reliable options such as buses and on-demand vans, especially in smaller cities beyond the Klang Valley.

He warned that road safety must also be treated as a national priority, noting that research shows one motorcyclist dies every two hours.

“The real wow factor isn’t in another mega-highway or flashy project. It would be in a budget that promises that every Malaysian can walk safely to a bus stop or cycle to school without fear. 

Imagine announcing that within five years, every urban resident will live within 500m of safe, shaded access to public transport. That’s bold, visionary, and will change lives,” Wan Agyl stated.

Transport consultant Rosli Khan echoed the call, stressing that Malaysia must expand rail if it wants to solve congestion and reduce accidents. 

He noted that while the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is due to open in 2027, freight trains still face major bottlenecks because every cargo line must pass through KL Sentral and only between midnight and 6am.

“This six-hour window is grossly inadequate, crippling Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd’s capacity and forcing the bulk of freight onto highways instead. 

A rail bypass line to Port Klang, both from the north and from the south, is therefore urgent and essential, not just for the rail sector, but for the wider economy and the country’s long-term competitiveness,” he told the news portal.

Rosli added that moving more people and cargo by rail, instead of roads, would ease congestion, cut accidents, and give Malaysia’s logistics industry a much-needed boost.

Source: FMT.