Would you like to see this in your city?

 Development issues, Energy resources, Public transport  23 Responses »
Jun 082008
 
Would you like to see this in your city?

A modern tram in Grenoble, France – Photo credit: Wikipedia (copyleft) The tram initiative is building up momentum. So far, 25 29 30 31 bloggers and websites have signed on to the campaign. Civil society activists have articulated their views too. Here’s what some people are saying: Heritage writer Khoo Salma Nasution: Heritage writer Khoo Salma Nasution noted that the Penang Island Municipal Council was the first local government to introduce electric trams in the inner city in the early part of the last century. “People think the tram is a thing of the past, but they are wrong because it is actually the thing of the future,” she said. “It is clean, energy saving and user-friendly not to mention fast, efficient and also cheap.”

At least RM500/mth to use the second Penang bridge

 Accountability, Development issues, Energy resources, Public transport  27 Responses »
Jun 072008
 
At least RM500/mth to use the second Penang bridge

Now that oil prices have gone up by 41 per cent and diesel by even more, our planners should scrap the proposed second cross-channel road link for Penang. If the RM4.8 billion second Penang bridge (all 24km of it, 17km over water) sounded like a bad idea before the oil price hike, today it sounds like a terrible idea in the light of higher fuel prices. Let’s try this out for size to see how much it will cost the average commuter every month to use the bridge.

Time to bring back the trams

 Development issues, Energy resources, Malaysian finance/business, Public transport  11 Responses »
Jun 062008
 

Before the general election, they told us that we would become a net importer of oil by 2011. Now, with the sharp oil price increase, they tell us we can remain a net exporter of oil until 2014-2015. You see, domestic demand will slow down. Some of us might turn to bicycles – and even live to tell the tale, given the notorious absence of bicycle lanes on our roads. Excerpt from Reuters: “It will be postponed if the demand does not grow at the rate that it should grow,” (Petronas) Chief Executive Mohd Hassan Merican was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama. He added: “If the rate is reduced from six percent (demand growth annually) to four percent, it will be extended by three to four years to 2014 or 2015.”

It’s a jungle out there! Oil price hike madness…

 Accountability, Energy resources, Marginalised groups, Public transport  30 Responses »
Jun 052008
 

I was stuck in a massive jam after I went to pick up a friend from the Penang airport. No matter how hard I tried to avoid the petrol stations, it seemed like the whole of Penang was out on the streets looking for oil, before the price hike at midnight. While listening to the radio, I heard one caller phoning in to the deejay and saying something to the effect of, “Here I am stuck in a jam on the way to a petrol station to fill up. I wish I could stay at home like my friend Mr Abdullah and shake legs cos he doesn’t need to go out and fill up.” It took me a couple of moments to realise that he was speaking about the PM! Even the deejay responded, “I would rather be like your friend Mr Abdullah”! This, then, is the shape of things [Read more]

Petronas’ RM600 billion profit: Where has it all gone?

 Accountability, Energy resources, Malaysian finance/business, Public transport  42 Responses »
Jun 032008
 

So the figure has been revealed. Petronas’ group profit before taxes, royalties, dividends and export duties amounted to RM570 billion for the period from its establishment in 1974 to 31 March 2007. If you include the figure for the period until 31 March 2008, then you are probably looking at a figure closer to RM700 billion, with the higher oil prices. Let’s see the breakdown of that RM570 billion:

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