‘Die, die’ Penang must have ‘LRT’ – Really?

By Chuah Chong Lai and Anil Netto

Many Penang residents see the proposed “LRT system” as the panacea for traffic congestion in the state.

But nothing could be further from the truth. A single-line “light rail transit” from George Town to Penang Airport, which will cost over RM10bn, will have little impact on state-wide congestion.

Have people forgotten about improving public transport on mainland Penang? The proposed RM10bn “LRT” line covers only part of Penang Island and does not serve the mainland, where even more people reside.

A route map is making the rounds showing even more LRT and monorail routes, including on mainland Penang. But all these other routes are slated for some distant fantasy future. They will take decades to materialise and cost a further RM30bn!

Let’s think for a moment: all the MRT, LRT and monorail lines in the Klang Valley have failed to ease congestion there. So why should it be any different in Penang with only a single LRT line costing RM10bn?

At present, many production workers in the Bayan Lepas factories on Penang Island are being bussed in from various places. (Other commuters, especially higher-paid local workers, use their motorbikes and cars, mostly low-occupancy vehicles.)

There is a huge problem with the proposed single LRT line. How will it resolve first-mile and last-mile connectivity issues, which will add 30 minutes to commuting time? If the LRT proponents cannot overcome this problem, how many commuters will ditch private vehicles in favour of the pricy overhead rail system?

And if the two other high-density islands (islands B and C) are not created by dumping more sand in the sea, where will the passengers come from to meet the ridership expectations of the overhead rail system? (The three islands were supposed to house over 400,000 residents. Don’t ask us where they are coming from, given the declining fertility rate in Penang to below population replacement levels.)

Remember, the idea is to solve traffic congestion, not just to feel good about having a fancy “LRT system”, which many have been brainwashed into accepting for political rather than genuine mobility considerations.

How about this alternative:

Allocate just RM600m to Penang instead of RM10bn.

Buy 200 more modern (electric?) buses to double the fleet of Rapid Penang buses that are now in operation across the state. This should cost about RM400m. Increasing the fleet size will reduce wait times for passengers to about five minutes during peak hours. (Imagine, Singapore, which is smaller than mainland Penang, has several thousand buses – whereas Penang has how many in operation now? 200?)

Extend the bus routes throughout the state to reduce first and last-mile travel times.

Buy 500 electric tuk-tuk vehicles (for a start) to ferry passengers from residential areas and factories to major bus stops. This will cost about RM30m – and provide jobs for locals. Double the fleet size later to boost first and last-mile connectivity even more.

Demarcate time-restricted bus lanes during peak periods (say two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening). Use mounted CCTV cameras to deter other vehicles from encroaching on the bus lanes.

Ensure all bus stops have real-time displays of bus schedules.

The total tab? About RM600m (including supporting infrastructure) – a fraction of the outlay for an LRT system. Plus it can be quickly implemented.

Add in water taxis to complement the buses. The imposing mega-‘Penang Sentral’ along the Butterworth waterfront looks like a sad white elephant – grossly underutilised, with so few commuters using it, and even fewer customers patronising the shoplots.

“They are unable to see the smaller picture for the greed of development. It’s the little things … that is what makes Penang, PENANG! Water taxis will be a great thing!” a retired principal said.

A well-travelled Penang-based academic agrees: “Bangkok, Brisbane and many other cities have water taxis. They’re great!”

Penang also has plans for a water taxi service soon but it seems mostly confined to the island.

This is unlike the extensive ferry service the Quah brothers introduced after 1893, when ferries at the pier north of Fort Cornwallis would ply the channel to various points on the mainland like Bagan Tuan Kechil pier, Teluk Air Tawar, Bagan Ajam, Bagan Luar and Simpang Empat.

Later, a steam launch service was added to connect Butterworth, Prai River, Bukit Tambun and Nibong Tebal.

Check out what Kochi in India is doing with its recently launched “water metro”:

The federal government could easily allocate the capital amount for all of this.

A small portion of the first Penang bridge’s profit from toll collection could subsidise the operations of the bus, tuk-tuk and water taxi service. After all, the collections from the first bridge so far have repaid the initial (capital) cost of the bridge several times over! So where is the money going?

Busy bus routes – like those in the Halcrow consultants’ blueprint – could later be upgraded to street-level modern trams. (These have received high passenger satisfaction ratings in several cities in the UK).

Meanwhile, check out the driverless automated bus service, which has just started operations in Edinburgh.

Fine-tune and plan for the next 10 years. Think about which routes could have a bus rapid transit line and modern trams, including on the mainland.

So far, Rapid Penang has hardly made inroads in encouraging passengers in Penang to ditch their vehicles in favour of buses. Why is this so? What has gone wrong? Is it because people in developed societies don’t like buses and prefer cars?

But then, remember, Singapore optimised its bus system before launching its underground rail system or mass rapid transit. Even today, the island republic’s buses – there are several thousand of them – carry more passengers daily than its MRT. So, the argument that people in developed cities shun buses does not hold.

What’s more, motorists spend up to a thousand ringgit per month on their private vehicles (instalments, petrol, insurance, road tax, parking). If they could save a chunk of this, it would really improve the quality of life for them and their families.

Penang or the federal government does not have to spend big to introduce sustainable mobility in Penang. There is a real danger that after spending RM10bn in capital costs, ticket sales for the overhead “LRT” won’t be enough to cover operational costs. If that happens, Penang will bleed some serious red ink.

Look, we have wasted enough time with the failed SRS “Penang Transport Master Plan”, which looks more like a developers’ and contractors’ blueprint than a genuine sustainable mobility plan.

So why not spend just RM600m and make some dramatic improvements NOW – instead of waiting 10 years for an “LRT” line to be completed with hardly a dent on congestion.

Let’s look at better, cheaper, faster options now.

Chuah Chong Lai has spent 50 years of his working life in the construction industry in Penang. Anil Netto served for two years as the NGO representative from Aliran on the Penang Transport Council

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme

Support our work by making a donation. Tap to download the QR code below and scan this QR code from Gallery by using TnG e-wallet or most banking apps: