Limiting parking hours among considerations to ease congestions in Penang

PENANG is considering limiting parking hours in certain parts of town and imposing different hours for the loading and unloading of heavy vehicles as part of measures to alleviate the worsening traffic congestion on the island.

The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) also plans to install two smart traffic lights by July at the Tanjong Tokong-Tanjung Bungah stretch and near the main Bayan Baru roundabout area - two key road arteries here. 

Lord Mayor Datuk Anthony Rajendran, who is also the MBPP president, said that the island needs a multi-pronged approach to address the daily bottlenecks.

He admitted that one way to address the problem other than the full adoption of the Penang Transport Master Plan, is to boost public transportation.

Pending the completion of new infrastructure, including the proposed light rail transit (LRT) system, there is a need to fine-tune traffic regulations now, said Rajendran.

MBPP will start by proposing to limit parking times at the council lots to only two hours daily at certain commercial localities in George Town.

"If the owners park beyond two hours, they will be fined," he said.

Secondly, heavy vehicles will no longer be permitted to unload or load during peak periods, he added.

Lastly, MBPP is hoping that the smart traffic lights at the two routes can disperse traffic flow better, so the days of waiting for long periods for the lights to turn green, will be overcome at the two locations, said Rajendran.

The last time that MBPP upgraded the traffic regulations here was in 1997 and it is time for another update, Rajendran said.

"We are now fine-tuning the latest measures such as the parking limits and we hope to implement such regulations soon," he added.

MBPP is also liaising with Rapid Penang to encourage more commuters to rely on public transport to move around town.

"Not many people may know but public transport around Penang is mostly free for Malaysian commuters. The public needs to use more public transport instead of driving into town where there would be congestion."

Rajendran urged ratepayers here to cooperate with the council, which has also begun to deploy traffic wardens at key locations in town to control traffic.

The best way to move around in Penang is by using public transport, he added. - The Vibes, March 18, 2024.