GEORGE TOWN – Penang will heed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s advice to consider scaling down the Penang South Islands (PSI) mega-reclamation project after the state received federal approval for its own light rail transit (LRT) system.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state will meet the project delivery partner, SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd, about the prospects of scaling it down, hinting that man-made Islands B and C may be affected.
Anwar had earlier announced that Putrajaya has decided to extend funding for the LRT project in view of the state’s worsening congestion.
The PSI project had been planned to fund the LRT project, as part of the Penang Transport Master Plan.
Chow was speaking at a press conference after Anwar hosted a Malaysia Madani Hari Raya open house at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Permatang Pauh campus.
The proposed LRT is 22-km long with a link connecting George Town through Komtar with the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and Penang International Airport.
Nineteen stations are expected to be built along the line with the main interchange depots at Komtar and the airport in Bayan Lepas.
Chow said that the first island of PSI, dubbed Silicon Island, does not have the capacity to fund the LRT but with federal aid coming in there is no pressure to seek additional funding.
“The state will now explore the type of LRT models and continue to consult with federal authorities on this matter,” said Chow.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who was also present, said the federal government will meet soon to discuss the financing model for the LRT.
“What’s important is that the federal side has in principle agreed to foot the costs,” he said.
Loke said the LRT will be fast-tracked, and its depots will be built on Penang’s main island instead of the proposed reclaimed islands.
Loke also stressed that since the project will be federal funded, Putrajaya will have the final say on its reports and alignment, though the state has conducted studies on the matters.
“The state’s reports can be used as reference but we will determine the line.”
However, in principle, Loke said that the link from Komtar to the airport will be maintained as the LRT’s backbone. – The Vibes, May 6, 2023
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