PENANGITES critical and supportive of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) came out in full force to make their views heard at the state government’s three-hour forum at Dewan Sri Pinang yesterday.

Tanjung Bungah Residents Association chairman Meenakshi Raman, who was strongly opposed to the plan, said car-lovers were trading the “visual vista” of Penang’s lush greeneries for the comforts of their vehicles.

“When you open your window, the hill and trees you had been seeing will be gone. You will have an elevated highway across with a noise barrier, which is going to look so ugly,” she said of the North Coast Paired Road (NCPR), one of the highways in the PTMP which will serve as a new alternative road linking Teluk Bahang and Tanjung Bungah in the north of Penang Island.

Meenakshi said those opposed to the PTMP were not unreasonable and merely wanted a fair solution to the traffic problem, not simply one that moved cars and not people.

The question-and-answer session at the PTMP forum with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, representatives from project delivery partner SRS Consortium and other parties involved in the master plan’s components lasted some two hours.

Most of those critical of the PTMP’s components raised concerns about air and noise pollution, the social and environmental impact of building more highways and the cost of building the infrastructure.

Katherine Chua, a tourism player in Penang, said she was worried about blasting tunnels for the PIL1 highway, and the threat of worsening floods and landslides in the state.

She said the construction of the mega road infrastructures could also turn off high-yield tourists, whose numbers in Penang have already been decreasing.

“We want a transport plan, not a road plan… how are we going to attain our green goals? How many trees will be removed for these projects?” she asked.

Chua acknowledged the fact that people would still choose to drive, calling on the state government to have the political will to change the people’s mindset.

However, Gelugor resident Chan said implementing the PTMP was the way to go as Penang’s traffic problems had reached disastrous levels.

“Penangites used to boast to Kuala Lumpur residents that we have a nice driving experience. But today we are also stuck in traffic jams for a few hours.

“Why are the PIL1 and LRT projects not underway already? Please start now. We want to spend more time with our families, not more time stuck in traffic jams,” he said.

Joshua Woo, a former Seberang Prai Municipal councillor, criticised Penang Forum’s push for a BRT (bus rapid transit) system.

He said the Bogota City BRT example Penang Forum had been using in its presentations might not even be sustainable in the long run.

The Columbian city introduced the BRT in 2000 and it was very popular at first, but by 2015 ridership dropped from 90% to 20%, he said.

“The BRT fares got too expensive, there were overcrowding issues and delays that led to protests and vandalism. All this information is online.

“Today, Bogota is the 6th most congested city in the world. Last September, the mayor resorted to a RM16 billion metro rail system,” Woo said.

The Penang Forum grouping of environmentalist and civil activists is one of the most vocal opponents of the PTMP.

Zainul, a blogger from Bukit Mertajam, also said he disagreed with Penang Forum’s argument that building more roads will just lead to more traffic and drivers.

“Regardless of the condition of our road network, people still need to travel to the island because they work there or have business to attend to,” he said.

Aimi from Seberang Prai said the construction of the components could give jobs to local graduates and contractors.

Rural Industry Entrepreneur Organisation secretary-general John Ooh said the projects like PIL1 have more pros than cons, although critics often make the news rather than its supporters.

“Those who support the PTMP won’t come to this forum. So it’s not surprising many here are against the PTMP. It is just that those who support the master plan are not here,” he said.

Ooh added that his organisation would conduct a survey with the rural community on what they think about the PTMP and submit the findings to the chief minister.

The PTMP proposes a mix of highways, urban rail system, BRT and even a cable car across the canal to overcome traffic woes in the state. – October 1, 2018.