LETTER | For the long term, Penang must choose LRT

LETTER | Due to the Penang state assembly, the Penang LRT made the news last week. Knowing that I am from the state, a former collegemate asked me what I thought.

I told him I had wanted to use the LRT more than 20 years ago when I was still a schoolboy. Ask anyone in Penang. We have waited too long. Now we need it more than ever because the traffic jams are worsening.

My friend said Penang is too small to need an LRT, and we do not have the population. It is not like Klang Valley.

Like certain NGOs in Penang, he felt we should try China's cheaper ART (autonomous rapid transit) system. He had just taken a free ride on the ART, which is being tested in Putrajaya.

He told me the ride was smooth and comfortable, and the ART did the job without needing mega constructions like the LRT.

It does sound fantastic and economical, but is it the right choice for Penang? I have serious doubts.

Running on the road with other vehicles, the ART would be no different from the existing Rapid Penang bus service. If the public bus system worked in the first place, we would not be talking about the LRT or ART.

I read that the ART trackless tram runs on the road with motorcycles, cars, and lorries. Put it in Penang, and it will also share the roads with bicycles and trishaws.

Many old roads are narrow, with two lanes on each side. Some are even narrower due to roadside parking. If you take one and make it a dedicated lane for the ART, many people will get angry.

When you widen roads, some houses and business premises will be affected.

Driving culture

Say the local authorities forcefully do it to implement the ART; we still need road-sharing discipline.

I do not think we need to discuss Penang’s driving culture. That would take another letter.

So, I cannot imagine taking two lanes on the Penang Bridge (one on each side) to make them dedicated ART lanes. Do you know how drivers and motorcyclists change lanes on the bridge?

I am using Penang Bridge as an example because a traffic expert suggested doing this in a recent news interview to address the traffic problem.

I am not a traffic expert, but having experienced rush-hour traffic on Penang Bridge, I know that there are better solutions than the ART.

Why? The Penang government has already introduced the CAT13 and CAT14 buses that ferry passengers from Seberang Jaya and Bukit Mertajam on the mainland to Bayan Baru and Komtar.

Despite this, the bridge is still choked with traffic every workday morning as early as 6am. When accidents happen, affecting one lane and causing a bottleneck, everyone gets into the office late.

Accidents often happen on the bridge. Pray it does not rain and flood, too. In such situations, the ART, like our existing buses, will also be caught in the jam unless you assign police outriders to the ART or install sirens on the vehicle. Will that be practical or acceptable to other motorists?

Smoothest operation needed

The elevated LRT will be more reliable and punctual since it will run on its own track. Whatever happens on the road or the Penang Bridge will not affect its service. Passengers will not have to worry about accidents or flash floods.

I think we do not have to be too worried about ridership if the service runs efficiently and accessible, and the fare is affordable and cheaper than driving ourselves.

As we have seen in other cities, demand for the LRT will only increase over time, so choosing a scalable system now for future growth is necessary.

Building the LRT 10 or 20 years from now will be even more expensive than RM10 billion. So why don’t we build the first line now and expand from it based on future needs later?

Although I support the LRT, I have nothing against the ART. It sounds like an excellent system and may complement the LRT as a feeder system that sends passengers to the LRT stations.

Its flexibility to change routes is an advantage. However, to have ART as “the solution” for Penang is not the way to go.

Penang needs to go for the LRT for the long term. Most Penangites look forward to it. Let’s prepare and plan better for the future.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.