Was it any surprise that the monorail and the PORR got cancelled?
There are angry voices aplenty, and some calmer ones. Anil Netto’s opinions in particular bear mentioning:
All those who cherish sustainable and cost-efficient public transport for Penang will be celebrating - even though the federal government may have had other reasons for shelving these mega crony-linked projects. Who cares what their reasons are… The important thing is that these projects have been shelved.
What can I say? I am pleased as punch. These two projects would have had severe financial and environmental implications for Penang. And I know the fisherfolk of Tanjong Bunga were worried about the impact of Porr on their fishing. It was only last week that they told me how concerned they were about the land reclamation work for Porr and how they feared that it would jeopardise their livelihoods.
Perhaps now we can take a closer look at… yes, trams!!! And at expanding the ferry service, improving the bus network, opening up cycle lanes and pedestrian malls along shady tree-lined streets - while at all times being highly sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities and senior citizens. Can you imagine a city with far fewer cars and a fantastic public transport system at street level… Penang would be paradise!
Meanwhile, the Penang state government has taken a step in the right direction by looking into the setting up of a state-owned bus corporation. That’s the way to go… It’s time for us to reclaim our public transport.
I was looking forward to the monorail. It was the simplest solution to the island’s transportation woes. The ubiquity of our heritage buildings (which I couldn’t care less about) and soaring trees (which I would fight for) make road widening exercises impossible in the areas where they are needed most. With two-lane roads within the town area, initiatives like public transport-only lanes and carpool lanes have to be forgone.

Many are hoping for an improved bus service - but with congestion plaguing our roads, bus schedules can scarcely be kept. What remains is to divert traffic, or to keep people off the roads. The PORR would have helped with the former, but no longer. Better city planning would help. Developers must be given incentives to build in less populated areas of the state. The government could start off by making those areas more people-centric and business optimized; they could start delineating community areas and laying down the groundwork for business parks.
There are ways to keep people off the roads, none of which would keep them happy. Angering the public would be a significant political risk given how the electorate will be exceptionally critical of the PR government’s freshman term. The government could implement a charge, much like London’s Congestion Charge or Singapore’s ERP, and provide Park’n'Ride services. Or, they could close down streets, plant trees and encourage walking. Fat chance.
For now, I’ll wait and see how the new government managed bus service performs.
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