Friday 18 December 2015

Penang State Government approves 2 projects under penang Transport Master Plan - LRT & PIL


Extract from 
December 17, 2015, Guang Ming Daily, Kwong Wah Yit Poh and Oriental Daily


Guang Ming Daily: Penang State Government approves 2 projects under Penang Transport Master Plan, i.e. the final route of  Penang-Prai LRT and the Penang Island Link (PIL) highway.

Kwong Wah Yit Poh: Penang State Government: SRS will refer the LRT and PIL project will be referred to Central Government for approval. 

Oriental Daily: The building of highway and LRT under Penang Transport Master Plan have been approved


(December 16, Penang) Penang State Local Government Committee chairman , Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang State Government has officially approved the proposed Penang-Prai LRT Final Route and the Penang Island Link (PIL) highway under Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

He said, the State Government plans to implement the phase one project, i.e. the  Komtar-Bayan Lepas LRT Line and the Penang Island Link highway from Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway to Gurney Drive. Meanwhile, SRS Consortium is waiting for the Central Government approval and is expected to start work the earliest by 2017.

Chow Kon Yeow said, SRS Consortium is to submit the proposal for LRT project to Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) next year for approval. SPAD’s approval is not necessary for the Penang Island Link (PIL) highway, but the consortium must apply for a Detailed Environment Impact Assessment (DEIA) report from the Ministry of Environment.

LRT alignments is awaiting Central Government approval and could be realigned. Will submit the proposal in February 2016

According to SRS Consortium’s project director Szeto Wai Loong, the company is to submit the proposal for Komtar-Bayan Lepas International Airport LRT Line and the process is expected to take 6 months.

Lim Guan Eng: Land reclamation at Southern Penang not approved yet

Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng said, the State Government has not approved the land reclamation at Southern Penang Island yet, the state execution council has only approved the prioritised railway and highway projects under the PTMP. He said, the 5 major transport systems proposed by Penang State Government include public bus, taxi, water taxi, LRT, Monorail and cable car projects.




More rail access for Penang

GEORGE TOWN: The planned light rail transit (LRT) linking the island and the mainland will be connected to two other train services planned for the state.
This proposed fourth link across the sea will have interchange stations in Gelugor on the island and Taman Supreme on the mainland.
From the Taman Supreme interchange, cross-channel commuters can switch to the proposed Raja Uda-Bukit Mertajam Monorail.
This monorail stretches from Permatang Tinggi in south Seberang Prai to Sungai Dua in the north. The line will have 22 stations, passing Alma, Bukit Mertajam, Bandar Perda, Taman Supreme, Sunway Carnival Mall and Penang Sentral.
Island commuters can change trains and get on the proposed Bayan Lepas LRT with 26 stops between Komtar and the airport.
In obtaining the thumbs up from the state government on Wednesday, SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd Szeto Wai Loong presented a Penang map showing the proposed rail linkages.
Two more railway lines proposed by SRS Consortium are the Air Itam monorail with 13 stops between Paya Terubong and Komtar and the Tanjung Tokong Monorail with nine stops between Tanjung Tokong UDA Flats and Komtar.
Szeto said that the plans would now be submitted to Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) for study and it would be put on public display in June.
There are currently two bridges between the island and the mainland, while design and planning work for a 6.5km undersea tunnel between Gurney Drive and Bagan Ajam are underway.
The consortium is the project delivery partner for the RM27bil Penang Transport Master Plan.
The Star reported yesterday that the planned cross-channel LRT will stretch from Gelugor to the Prai Industrial Estate. The LRT track will wind through housing estates beginning with Taman Supreme before reaching Penang Sentral.
Construction of the George Town-Butterworth LRT and the Raja Uda-BM Monorail is expected to be after 2026, while work on the Bayan Lepas LRT is expected to start in 2018.
When contacted, urban planning specialist and editor of Pilot Studies for a New Penang, Datuk Dr Goh Ban Lee said the LRT was a much needed project.
“As far as I can remember, we have never thought of a train service between the island and the mainland,” said Dr Goh.

Penang exco approves railway, highway lines for transport master plan

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 17, 2015.

penang-exco-transport-master-plan_fd_171215
The Penang executive council approves the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) for the railway and highway schemes that include a rail line from Komtar to the airport and the Pan Island Link. Photo by The Malaysian Insider

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang executive council (exco) yesterday gave the green light to the Penang Transport Master Plan’s (PTMP) project delivery partner SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd for the railway and highway schemes that include a rail line from Komtar, George Town, to the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas and Pan Island Link.
SRS tabled the plans to the state exco yesterday morning.
The railway scheme covers both the island and mainland, with one light rail transit (LRT) and two monorail lines on the island, one LRT line across the sea linking both sides of Penang, and a bus rapid transit (BRT) system..
Exco member Chow Kon Yeow said the priority of the railway scheme will be the LRT line linking Komtar to the Penang International Airport.
This project, he said, would be Phase 1 of the railway scheme and be treated as a priority project.
“With the green light given by the state, SRS will proceed to propose the railway scheme to Spad (Land Public Transport Commission)
“SRS will consult with Spad for its guidance and advice concerning the proposal to build a railway system in Penang,” he said here yesterday.
Chow said the state had also approved the highway scheme. The priority highway project, he said, is the Pan Island Link, which connects Gurney Drive to Bayan Lepas.
“The alignment was also presented to the exco today (yesterday). The next step by SRS is to conduct the DEIA (detailed environmental impact assessment) of this proposed project,” he said.
SRS project manager Szeto Wei Loong said the next stage after securing the state’s approval is to engage the public and inform them of the alignments of the projects.
“We are going to do a preliminary detailed design of the Phase 1 LRT line, which will be submitted to Spad for the railway scheme approval.
“A condition for approval is giving Spad the overall master plan of the railway network, which the state had approved this (yesterday) morning.
“We will liaise with Spad regarding this master plan submission, and this will take another six months. Once ready, it will be up for public display.
“At the same time, we will also be submitting the DEIA of the LRT line. We hope by the third quarter of next year, all the railway schemes will be approved,” he said.
For the Pan Island Link, Szeto said SRS will submit the DEIA, which will take another six months for studies to be conducted and completed, and be submitted to the Department of Environment for approval.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state had not approved any land reclamation yet or other components of the PTMP.
SRS has proposed to reclaim two or three islands in the south of Penang island to finance the RM27 billion master plan. The islands would be auctioned to pay for the transport projects in the master plan if all federal approvals are obtained. — The Malaysian Insider

Penang govt approves more projects for under PTMP



This article first published in The Sun - 17 Dec 2015

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has green lighted the alignment for the mass rail system and highway schemes under the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) project.
The railway scheme meanwhile covers both the island and mainland with one Light Rail Transit (LRT) and two monorail lines on the island, a LRT line across the Penang Channel, and a Bus Transit System (BTS).
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the next step was for SRS Consortium, the PTMP project delivery partner (PDP), to get approval from the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and other federal regulators.
He said the priority was for the rail line to link Komtar, the state's administrative centre, to the Penang International Airport which fell under Phase One of the massive initiative.
"SRS will consult with SPAD for guidance and advice concerning the proposal for a rail system in Penang," he said in a press conference today.
Chow also noted the priority project for the highway schemes was the Pan Island Link which will connect Gurney Drive and Bayan Lepas.
He said moving forward was for SRS to conduct the Detailed Environment Impact Assessment (DEIA).
"Studies and approvals will be conducted in stages as a lot of engagement is needed to implement the PTMP," he added.
SRS project director Szeto Wong meanwhile said the consortium will engage with the public and inform them of the alignments of the projects.
He said the consortium will be working on a preliminary detailed design for Phase One of the rail line for submission to SPAD which will take about six months.
He said the DEIA for the Pan Island Link will take about six months to complete prior to submission to the Department of Ennvironment (DOE) for approval.
The project is proposed to be funded by allowing the reclamation of a 930ha plot and a 445ha plot off the coast in Permatang Damar Laut.

Thursday 17 December 2015

LRT across the sea to mainland in the works

This article first published in The Star - 17 Dec 2015

GEORGE TOWN: There are plans for a fourth link between Penang island and the mainland – a light rail transit (LRT) track across the sea.
The proposed link will have the LRT trains travelling on rails built near the Penang Bridge.
It will connect Gelugor on the island and the Prai Industrial Estate on the mainland before continuing northwards to Penang Sentral in Butterworth.
At Gelugor, there will be an interchange with the proposed Komtar-Bayan Lepas LRT line.
The line on the mainland will take the trains through the Prai factory area, along the Jalan Baru dual carriageway beginning with Taman Supreme and ending at Penang Sentral, where the ferry terminal and KTM train station are located.
“The link will be a lot narrower than Penang Bridge.
“But we will follow the bridge’s height so that the sea route will remain clear,” SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd project director Szeto Wai Loong told reporters yesterday.
There are currently two bridges linking the island and mainland, while a 6.5km undersea tunnel had been proposed to connect Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam.
The proposed fourth link and several other highway, LRT, monorail and tram routes, which are part of the RM27bil Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), received the thumbs up from the state government yesterday.
Szeto said the plans for these state-approved transport links would now be submitted to the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) before it is publicly displayed in June.
“People can give feedback and we will factor significant issues raised into the final plan,” he said, adding that the construction of the George Town-Butterworth LRT, which is the name given to the fourth link, would probably start around 2026.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was also present, said the state had yet to approve the proposed land reclamation in the south of the island which are meant to fund the PTMP.

Reclamation works to benefit fishermen


This article first published in The Sun, 16 Dec 2015


GEORGE TOWN: Fishermen in the southern coast of Penang Island will benefit from reclamation works there, said State Islamic Religious Affairs committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Kassim Abul Kassim.
He cited the water taxi industry as one of the businesses fishermen can take part in as such transportation modes were provided for under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
The area will be the hub for either a mass rail transport (MRT) or light rail transit (LRT) system as the Penang International Airport was situated there, said the Batu Maung assemblyman when asked about concerns voiced by fishermen during a rally on Sunday.
He was speaking at a press conference after announcing the Penang International Halal Expo and Conference (Pihec) which will begin on Jan 29.
The RM27billion PTMP is proposed to be funded by allowing SRS Consortium, the Project Delivery Partner (PDP), to reclaim a 930ha plot and a 445ha plot off the coast there.
Environmental groups have voiced their objections over such a massive undertaking while political opponents have criticised the state government over the proposal.
In a separate function, Penang Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the state noted the concerns of fishermen affected by the project.
The land to be reclaimed at the southern coast was only a proposal and studies are still being conducted, he said after launching a food waste recycling programme at Tanjung Bungah market.
Lim claimed that the concession agreements for the reclamation projects are worth 'tens of billions' so the state needed time to look through the agreements. — Picture by K.E. Ooi
















Lim claimed that the concession agreements for the reclamation projects are worth 'tens of billions' so the state needed time to look through the agreements. — Picture by K.E. Ooi








GEORGETOWN, Dec 15 — Penang will ask land reclamation project concessionaires here to forego the confidentiality of their agreements in order to declassify the documents, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.
The Penang lawmaker, who was under pressure from the civil society groups and political opponents over the number of land reclamation projects in the state, said the agreements signed by the previous administration included confidentiality clauses that stopped him from releasing their contents without permission.
"We don't have the power to instruct them to waive their rights under the confidentiality clauses because they are protected by the agreements," Lim said.
He claimed these concession agreements for the reclamation projects are worth "tens of billions" so the state needed time to look through the agreements.
"Let the legal advisor look through these agreements first, write to the concessionaires and by January we should have the answer but worse comes to worse, we will declassify agreements approved by our administration first," he said in a press conference at his office today.
Yesterday, Penang Barisan Nasional Chairman Teng Chang Yeow told the state government to instruct the land reclamation concessionaires to waive their rights under the confidentiality clause.
Teng pointed out that back in 2007, then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had declassified highways agreements after instructing the concessionaires to waive their rights under the confidentiality clause.
He said Penang could similarly instruct the land reclamation concessionaire, E&O Bhd, to waive its rights instead of making an about turn on the state's decision to declassify all these agreements.
Today, Lim said Teng was either ignorant or feigning ignorance of the law by making such a suggestion, especially when the agreements were approved by the previous BN administration.
He also accused Teng of trying to blame him and the current administration for the confidentiality clauses approved by BN, saying the latter should explain as he was a state exco member when the deals were signed.
He added that the state wants to declassify all land reclamation agreements, both approved by BN and the current administration, but they needed time to go through the confidentiality clauses.
Lim has accused the previous BN state government of approving a total 3,241 acres of land reclamation projects for the state while the current administration approved only 60 acres.
When pressured to cancel the previously approved projects, Lim claimed it could bankrupt the state government as compensation could go up to RM1 billion.
Gerakan and the civil society have been pressuring Lim to reveal the concession agreements to prove that cancelling those projects would lead to RM1 billion in compensation payments.

This article first published in The Malay Mail - 16 Dec 2015

We care about fishermen's plight, says govt

This article first published on The Malay Mail - 16 Dec 2015 (P3)


GEORGE TOWN — The state government will look into the welfare of fishermen before making decisions on land reclamation projects. State executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said the government was always concerned about their plight.

"Look at the history of land reclamation projects in Penang and every other project," the local government, traffic management and water mitigation committee chairman said.

Hundreds of fishermen and residents demonstrated against the proposed land reclamation project at Permatang Damar Laut on Sunday. The area is rich in marine life and is the main source of livelihood for the residents.

"It was a natural reaction by the fishermen since there is a proposed development project in their area and their income would be affected," Chow said after launching a food composting machine at Tanjung Bungah market.

"It is an opportunity for them to highlight the issue to the authorities."

He said studies were still being conducted on the viability and feasibility of the project. The state government claimed two­thirds of the fishermen in Permatang Damar Laut had accepted its proposal to carry out the reclamation project.

Executive councillor Datuk Abdul Malik Kassim said the residents had supported the project after the government promised to protect the community's interest.

The Batu Maung assemblyman said the state government held several dialogue sessions with the residents to safeguard their interest and livelihood.

The proposed project is to fund the state's RM27 billion Transport Master Plan (TMP), which includes an undersea tunnel, three highways, an.LRT system, two monorails and a cable car project linking the island and the mainland.

The reclamation project will be undertaken by SRS Consortium — the master plan's delivery partner — as part of a land swap deal to fund the master plan.

About 120 fishermen and residents attended the last dialogue session with state government representatives led by Malik on Dec 9. Malik said he explained to those present how they would benefit from the project and the master plan, which would ensure efficient, reliable and affordable connectivity.

"Consultants from the consortium company will also meet them when conducting studies before undertaking the project," he said. Malik said land reclamation was not new in Penang as similar projects had been carried out in Jelutong, Gelugor and Tanjung Tokong.

He said SRS Consortium would conduct three detailed impact studies on natural and social environments, and marine lives before making

Penang ready to bare all

This article first published in The Malay Mail - 16 Dec 2015


Over 400ha of land to the south of Penang island to be reclaimed



This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on Dec 11, 2015. 
Penang
GEORGE TOWN (Dec 11): Some 1,000 acres (404.69ha) of land on the two isles to the south of Penang island that will be reclaimed as part of the state government’s land swap deal with SRS Consortium for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) have been earmarked for industrial development.
Recall that on Nov 27, SRS Consortium project manager Szeto Wai Loong said the two islands, measuring 1,300 acres and 2,100 acres, would be reclaimed at costs of RM7 billion and RM8 billion respectively. An 800-acre island next to the two islands had also been identified for further reclamation in future, pending the state’s needs.
Yesterday, Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd (IPD) director Datuk Alex Ooi told reporters that the 1,000 acres earmarked for industrial development would have sites for the electronic and electrical sector, as well as light industries.
“There [is] no other industrial cluster which is as big as this in Southeast Asia, so we want to provide that space,” he said.
He said the RM27 billion PTMP is viewed as an economic transformation project for the state, with a five-time multiplier effect in terms of economic benefit from the project — some RM135 billion — and as such, is Penang’s growth catalyst.
Ooi said the remaining acreage would be allocated for a green lung (1,000 acres), dam, sewage plant and airport expansion, as well as administrative buildings, offices and residential units.
IPD, a subsidiary of Ideal Property Group, is one of the three players — including Penang-based Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd — in SRS Consortium, the appointed PTMP project delivery partner that is led by Gamuda Bhd.
Ooi said the consortium spent more than RM10 million on preliminary studies for the land reclamation.
The reclamation, identified as a land swap model to finance the PTMP, is expected to take off in 2018 once federal and state approvals for the project have been attained.
It was previously reported that the cost of detailed environmental impact assessments for road, rail-based public transportation and the reclamation would amount to about RM300 million to RM400 million, and would be borne by the state.
A tender for the reclamation will be called once approvals from the authorities are given, and the detailed design for the rail-based segment is completed.
Meanwhile, Ooi said the Penang entities’ role in the project, including Loh Phoy Yen’s, is to provide local expertise for the project.
“Our job is to provide local expertise. We will liaise with local authorities, and carry out consultations with fishermen and other stakeholders. Some 90% [of the] feedback is favourable,” he said.


PiT notes and is happy of the following developing:

1. Penang Exco approves railway, highway lines for transport masterplan. 

2. The State Government will look into welfare of fisherman before making decisions on land reclamation projects.

More of these stories can be viewed via our blog and Facebook page. Stay tuned. 

Wednesday 16 December 2015

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 8, 2015.

KUALA LUMPUR: The successful implementation of the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), of whichGamuda-led SRS Consortium Bhd is the project delivery partner (PDP), hinges on the support of the residents there.

Gamuda group managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling said the support from Penang residents is crucial, and the implementation of the project is riding on the outcome of a due process exercise, which will take six months to complete.

“For now, the [PTMP] is just a plan. The next step in [implementing it] is the due process, which involves impact studies on the environmental and social aspects of the plan, and this has already commenced by an independent consultant appointed by the Penang state government,” he told reporters after Gamuda’s annual and extraordinary general meetings yesterday.

“If there is no overwhelming support for the PTMP from the people of Penang, then we should not go ahead [with it],” he added.
However, Lin declined to comment on the magnitude of the percentage that would constitute overwhelming support.

“I wouldn’t want to go into that, that’s an open ended debate,” he said.
Lin, however, noted that there are some grouses from the people of Penang on the Penang government’s land reclamation process.

“They are not unhappy about reclamation per se, [but] their perception is that the state is reclaiming in too many places, and the due process [for the reclamation process] is not transparent, and this needs to be cleared up,” said Lin.

“The results from the detailed impact studies conducted will be shared with the key stakeholders and the general public, and it will outline the advantages and disadvantages of the PTMP [among others],” he added.

On its part, Gamuda will undertake its responsibility as PDP in ensuring that all the requirements in terms of data gathering, as well the selection of appropriate consultants for the implementation of the PTMP are undertaken in a transparent manner.
Penang-based Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd and Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd are the two other parties of the Gamuda-SRS Consortium, with a 20% stake each in the venture.

On the payment method of the PDP, which could be in the form of land swaps or land reclamation rights, Lin said it is too soon to say.
“I think it will be jumping the gun [to talk about the payment method] now; the focus at present should be on the public’s perception of the PTMP, and this is where the due process comes in,” he said.

On Gamuda’s outlook for 2016, Lin said it is still positive about the construction industry.
“The government is embarking on a lot of railway projects, so it is a good time for capital investments in infrastructure projects.

“For Gamuda, in 2015 we have spent about RM4.5 billion on our property development and related infrastructure projects in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Melbourne, Australia, and for 2016 we will probably invest another RM3 billion in capital expenditure (capex), which will bring our total capex [for the two years] to RM7.5 billion,” he said.

As for the status of the sale of its 40%-owned water asset Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Holdings Sdn Bhd (Splash)to the Selangor state government, Lin said the appropriate price for the sale would be at the book value of the asset.

“We are expecting an offer for the asset at its book value, which at present is RM3 billion, based on previous news report published. I believe the state government has appointed an independent valuer to perform a valuation of Splash, and what we would like is for that report to be shared with us, and the public as well,” said Lin.

Gamuda (fundamental: 1.3; valuation: 1.4) shares closed up 13 sen, or 2.84%, to RM4.70 yesterday, bringing a market capitalisation of RM11.28 billion.


PTMP impact study due in six months

SHAH ALAM: Environmental and social impact studies on the RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) will be ready for public display in six months’ time, according to Gamuda Bhd managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling.
“In the coming months, when it is completed, it will be put online and for public display. There will also be many rounds of consultation with the stakeholders and public,” he said, adding that the process needs to be very transparent.
Nevertheless, Lin said the project will not go ahead if it does not receive overwhelming support.
In August, SRS Consortium comprising Gamuda (60%), Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd (20%) and Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd (20%), was appointed as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) by the Penang government to implement PTMP.
Under a land swap model to finance this mega project, the PDP will be given the rights to reclaim a sizeable amount of land on the island.
At a press conference yesterday, Lin said one “should not jump the gun” on the payment mode for the development of PTMP. However, he believes that the reclamation proposal is “what the company can come up with”.
“That one probably (is) the final stage of how are we going to be paid, the important thing is what the public thinks of this project. This is what the due process has to focus on,” he said.
Lin added that dissatisfaction among the public over the project is not due to the reclamation per se, but the large number of reclamation sites and transparency of the due process.
PTMP involves the construction of a light rail transit line, a monorail line, bus rapid transits and new highways.
“These projects have a lot of multiplier effects (and) are beneficial to the economy,” he said.
Lin noted that tender for the first and second packages of the Mass Rapid Transit Line 2 (MRT 2) project is underway and construction work is expected to begin before May next year. Gamuda and MMC Corp Bhd are the PDP for the MRT 2 project.
He also said Gamuda will invest RM3 to RM3.5 billion on its property development division in 2016 following the RM4.5 billion investment pumped in this year.
“This will bring us RM7 to RM7.5 billion, to a kind of gearing that we’re comfortable with, about 0.7 times equity,” he added.
Gamuda reported a net profit of RM682 million for the financial year ended July 31, 2015 (FY15), a 5.15% drop compared with RM719 million a year earlier.
On a pre-tax level, the infrastructure concessions contributed the most (44%) to the group, followed by property development (30%) and engineering and construction (26%).

Monday 7 December 2015

FULL SUPPORT FOR LRT AND PIL HIGHWAY GEORGE TOWN

Source: New Straits Times (North Edition), 8 Dec 2015 (P.9)

At the first public town hall meeting on tffe proposed Penang Transport­ Master Plan (PTMP) last Sunday, participants showed positive support for the immediate implementation of the first light rail transit line on the island, as well as the Pan Island Link Highway (PIL). 

More than 100 local residents and members of non-governmental organisations (NCOs) turned up to hear firsthand from the state government about the benefits of PTMP, especially how traffic congestion could be solved. 

According to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who delivered the opening speech, PTMP was a one-­for-­all solution that would fully address Penang's' transport problems until 2065. He said it would be the second largest transport infrastructure initiative in the country after the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project. 

Reportedly, local residents and business proprietors were excited to hear that, if properly implemented, the PTMP would change the economic face of Penang. 

The incessant traffic congestion plaguing Penang Island has not seen improvement, despite much effort by the authorities to improve its bus services and upgrade its road networks. 

Seet Siew Ping, 42, from Desa Pinang in Gelugor, said road users were left with no other option but to drive their own cars because of the lack of reliable public transportation. She added that the current situation was unsustainable. 

"Over time, the traffic situation on the island has worsened, and I support the implementation of a new public transportion network," she said. 'Penang folks' preference for private vehicles is a' major issue plaguing the state and exacerbating its,transport dilemma. Currently, private vehicles remain the most popular mode of transport during peak hours, with a staggering total usage of 89 per cent. 

Permatang Damar Laut resident Shukri Yusof, shared the sentiment and strongly supported the implementation of ­PTMP as traffic heading to Bayan Lepas had worsened, and that road ­widening works were not a long-term solution. "We need the LRT so we can save on our daily expenses," said Shukri. 

Muginespary Arasan, 35, resident qf Balik Pulau and part­-time student at Universiti Sains Malaysia, welcomed the idea of having an LRT service on the island. She said it would be popular if it was supported by facilities that enhanced convenience. 

"An LRT network will help ease traffic congestion, but door­-to-­door connectivity is also important. The LRT service needs to cater to low ­income and high density areas where residents will benefit the most. The LRT service also has to be supported by facilities, such as Park & Ride, covered walkways, and an affordable fare structure that will make it an attractive option, for commuters." 

Muginespary stressed the importance of having an efficient transport service in terms of punctuality and frequency for the benefit of end users. 

Upon completion, the Bayan Lepas LRT, which runs from Komtar to the Penang International Airport, will become the rail backbone of Penang Island. It is envisioned to be able to solve the traffic issues in the state and encourage more people to switch to public transportation, reducing the number of private vehicles on the road. 

An independent survey on Penang folk perception on public transport, carried out by NGO Penang in TRANSIT (PiT), found that 96 per cent of respondents agreed that a rail-­based public transport system would benefit Penang, and were in support of the project to commence immediately. 

The Bayan Lepas LRT and PIL Highway are the first infrastructure components to be rolled out under the PTMP. Construction for the LRT is expected to start in 2017, while the PIL highway will begin construction in 2018. Construction for the LRT and highway will take six years to complete. 

"Construction should, ideally, be done in stages. The inconvenience that we will have to face during the construction period is acceptable, as we look at it as short­term pain, long­term gain," said Seet.