Groups thrash out Penang's traffic woes at forum

Poor air quality in George Town for cyclists, wheelchair wheels getting stuck in drains grilles on pavements and lack of action against motorcyclists riding on pedestrian walkways are just a fraction of the massive transport woes faced by ordinary folks in their daily lives highlighted in a public forum in Penang yesterday.

The three-hour event titled 'Reclaiming our streets: Towards sustainable transport" was jointly organised by the Penang Forum, a coalition of 14 NGOs and the Working Group on Transport in Malaysia (WGTM).

In his opening speech, state exco for local government, traffic management and flood mitigation Chow Kon Yeow acknowledged that there are greater calls by civil society to request the Penang government to "think outside the box" and to consider MRT and rail services to solve the problem.

However, it does not look like Penang would be enjoying such modes of transportation soon.

Under the Penang Transport Master Plan, Chow explained, the total cost for public transport strategy amounts to RM12 billion, which includes LRT or trams.

"Based on the Transport Master Plan studies, it clearly shows that presently, with the state's current population growth, we may not be able to sustain such a service," he said.

"It will require subsidies from the federal government and should be realised by 2030, and to reach that level of service, we must continue to encourage the use of public transport and to alleviate congestion," he added.

Nevertheless, Chow assured that the state will work with the federal government to promote and encourage the use of public transport.

Federal government gap

Accompanying Chow were other speakers PSM Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj, Centre for Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia chairperson Gurmit Singh, wheelchair user Khu Li Fang and Penang Master Transport Plan chief coordinator Lim Thean Heng.

Jeyakumar said there is a "huge gap" between the people's vision for public transport in Malaysia and the federal government's masterplan.

He said that this gap was realised during a one-day forum between the PSM-organised WGTM and the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) in November last year.

"The Working Group's vision is based on an awareness that society needs to be nurtured by the spirit of solidarity, that in many situations, free markets fail to provide basic needs equitably, that global warning and climacteric change need to be factored into our plan for all social services," he said.

"Spad's position on the other hand is predicated on neo-liberal precepts that the private sector is better, more efficient provider of even the basic services and that the role of government is just to set standards and to regulate," he added.

"Many neo-liberal theorists dispute global warming - they think it is a fiction cooked up by environmentalists!" he added.

Attractive proposition needed

Gurmit said the vision for a Malaysian public transport system includes the availability of services from rural areas to cities.

"It must be a tool to enhance accessibility for all, where the poor and vulnerable must be included. Public transport is a public good, it should not be exploited," he said.

"Modes of public transport must follow publicly known timetables and routes, be clean, affordable and with good inter-connectivity. It should become the people's choice," he added.

Lim said Penang is looking towards raising public transport mode share and to improve connectivity between people on the island and the mainland as there are more people from the latter but fewer buses.

"Under the Penang Transport Master Plan, the highway investment planned is RM16 billion compared to RM10 billion for public transport, a total of RM27 billion," he said.

"A taskforce comprising public transport and highway groups has been formed to discuss these matters," he added.

He asked if Penang is prepared for more buses, including depots, transfer stations, terminal, hubs and park-and-ride facilities.

"State, local authorities and JKR (Public Works Department) are responsible for enhancing accessibility and inter-connectivity," he said.

"Public transport is a rights issue, we are entitled to those rights and we do not have to beg for funds," he added.