Brickbats for Penang gov't at Pulau Tikus dialogue session

The Penang government is facing intense opposition from a fraction of its residents after changing the traffic system along several roads to one-way to ease traffic congestion.

The roads in questions are Jalan Burma, Jalan Kelawai and Gurney Drive, which are often choked with traffic ,especially during peak hours, weekends and long holidays.

Last night the state government, with the Penang Municipal Council, decided to meet the residents and affected motorists for a dialogue session to address their grouses.

The session turned out to be hot as the participants were steaming over the change, directing their anger at several state officials present last night at an open space along Jalan Maktab (opposite the Pulau Tikus convent).

Some of the 300-odd members of the public at the dialogue even warned of wanting to “ubah” (change) the present state government under DAP if the road system  is not returned to its original two-way traffic flow system.

Among the opinions voiced were that residents felt that the new road system was installed to help mega shopping complexes like Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon along Gurney Drive.

Some traders and hawkers plying their trade along the affected roads also felt that they were losing income from the road system change.

A hawker complained that she used to earn about RM7,000 monthly but this has plunged to a mere RM700 after the change.

Some of the participants carried banners saying ‘Ubah - Burma Road back to 2 way’ and ‘Restore two way traffic in Pulau Tikus! Business Dropped Drastically! Pedestrian Safety Threatened! Inconvenience in Pulau Tikus!’

State executive councillor for local government and traffic management Chow Kon Yeow (right) was present at the dialogue, accompanied by Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari and assemblypersons Yap Soo Huey (Pulau Tikus) and Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga).

Penang Municipal Council engineer A Rajen was also present to address road users' grouses, pedestrians, residents, traders and the business community.

The state government officials were booed by the participants and they were instances when they chanted “Ubah”, DAP’s battle cry at the 13th general election to change the federal government by seizing Putrajaya from the BN.

A campaign to collect 5,000 signatures was also launched by a group calling  itself Folks Against Pulau Tikus One Way Movement.

Ex-councillor: Penang gov’t doing ‘wrong thing’

Former Gerakan MPPP councillor Teh Leong Meng said the Penang government is obviously doing the “wrong thing” by merely converting roads from two- to one-way.

“They are messing up Pulau Tikus residents’ lives. Didn’t the Penang government pay RM3.2 million to a foreign consultant to prepare the Penang Transport Master Plan? Is this what we get?” Teh (right) asked.

In his response, Chow expressed appreciation for all the feedback.

During the session, Chow and his comrades had stayed calm despite the brickbats hurled by the angry residents.

However, the state will not be re-converting the system back to two-way so soon as the state is  committed to give the one-way system, which started on July 26,  a try.

“We have committed to a three-month trial. It is a trial, after all,” he said to the angry residents.