The focus of this paper is on urban traffic congestion and car dependency in the city of
Kuching, where rapid motorisation in the last thirty years, and the spread of low-density
suburban settlement patterns have seriously undermined and diminished the role of public
transport and created unacceptable social and physical environmental problems. It explores
the issues and challenges in the search for a change; what are the barriers to change -
whether people are prepared to change their travel behaviours in the light of the increasing
daily congestion situation for a more sustainable transport mode.