Don't simply follow others by Eileen

Penang state government very respects NGOs. But sometimes I seriously think about it - is the opinion of these so-called NGOs correct? They have always insisted that public transport (modern tram) must be on the ground and should not be built elevated, but is this suitable for Penang with narrow roads?

Penang Forum has conducted a number of talks on PTMP. I have listened to several of them. From the very beginning, they suggested that Penang should follow the example of Kaohsiung, Taiwan to build a at grade modern tram. They claimed it was a cheaper and more convenient public transportation system.

But then they suggested that Penang government should use the ART system, which is a trackless tram. Recently, they organised a talk by Yoga Adiwinarto, the Indonesia country director of the Institute of Transport and Development Planning (ITDP), to promote BRT in Penang.

In fact, Jakarta has been promoting BRT for a long time. Ironically, according to Castrol, Jakarta is the most traffic congested city in the world. The world's best public transport country - Japan is a famous elevated railway city in the world. There are LRT, monorail, subways and trams with elevated and underground.

People who have traveled to Japan know that many urban residents in Japan do not buy cars. Because their public transportation is too developed and you can go out without driving.

If you want to implement BRT or ART or at grade tram proposed by Penang Forum in Penang, you have to plan a dedicated lane on the existing road. You need at least 4 lanes.

But Penang's roads are narrow and there are very few roads with 4 lanes.

On the contrary, the state government's proposal to build a elevated LRT and monorail will occupy less land, and the number of houses to be requisitioned will be minimized. The social impact is the lowest compared to BRT and ART.

I believe that public transportation must be suitable for the city. Would it be appropriate to move Jakarta, Australia, Kaohsiung public transportation system to Penang? If you think that the system which feasible in other countries will be equivalent being feasible in our country, you will be too naive.

source from Oriental Daily

#lrtpenang #brt #art #japan #ptmp #jakarta #penangforum #penangNGO