Large scale projects alone will not resolve Penang traffic woes, says transport engineer 

PENANG needs to do more to alleviate the traffic congestion other than introducing large-scale projects such as the Mutiara Light Rail Transit (LRT) project or building more roads.

Former Penang chief transport engineer Lim Thean Heng said strategic measures need to be enforced now, even unpopular ones because the state needs to urgently ease the congestion, which has now become a daily hindrance.

"I think there is enough lip service. We have been debating and hearing about all kinds of proposals and projects in the past. Nothing has moved. Enough of just talking."

While there was a groundbreaking for the LRT recently and the Air Itam - Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway is taking shape, Lim said that such projects are destined for the future while what the commuters need now is an immediate action plan.

"Perhaps the state is neglecting the worsening traffic here to induce support for lavish projects such as the LRT system and new highways across the island."

Lim, who helped draft the original Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), said that proposals such as limiting automobile entries, raising parking charges, limiting parking hours and dedicated bus lanes, are noteworthy but they need to be done now.

The state needs to secure better connectivity by improving public bus routes and begin limiting car entries now instead of deliberating more about it, Lim said, as the state grapples with a report from the police that 2.4 million vehicles will enter Penang soon.

The influx is due to the long Lunar New Year festive period, which begins today.

He said that the proposed limiting of vehicles into George Town and higher parking charges remained just talk, as the state apparently does not possess the political will to impose strategic measures to relieve the narrow roads here of congestion.

While the state remains indecisive and prefers to wait some five years more for the LRT, the carbon emission rates would sky up due to more vehicles on the roads, he said.

Lim, 74, who was attached to the state before his retirement, anticipates that Penang will face huge challenges as it prepares for the construction of new highways and the LRT.

He wonders if the state has the resources and capacity to allow traffic to move smoothly in large-scale infrastructure and earthworks.

Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad was quoted as saying that on average, around 200,000 vehicles are expected to travel in and out daily, with the volume increasing as the Lunar New Year celebration approaches.

"The traffic volume is expected to reach its peak beginning next week as the Chinese New Year nears. So far, the police have identified eight ‘blackspot’ areas where accidents frequently occur in Penang,” he said.

The identified areas are Jalan Air Itam - Paya Terubong and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong, as well as Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Tun Dr Awang .

In Kepala Batas, the identified areas are Jalan Teluk Air Tawar to Jalan Bagan Luar, Jalan Perusahaan Perai and the North-South Expressway in Bukit Mertajam, and Jalan Besar Simpang Ampat in Nibong Tebal.

Hamzah said police officers will be stationed at "blackspots” and high-traffic hot spots to manage vehicle flow around the clock.

The Penang Island City Council has launched a school holiday operation (Ops Cuti Sekolah) to focus on enforcement and traffic control at key tourist and high-traffic areas to ensure smooth traffic flow. - January 28, 2025.