Today, several Penang-based bloggers and websites simultaneously launched a “Penangites for Trams” campaign.
We hope more bloggers and webmasters – especially all those who care for Penang – will join in the campaign by placing these graphics on their blogs or websites. You may link the graphic to the URL for this post or choose to link to any other article or post about trams. Leave a comment here and you will then be added to the list below of blogs/websites supporting the campaign.
This will help to raise awareness of the viability of trams. Of course, trams work best as part of an integrated public transport system, complementing an efficient and extensive network of buses and other forms of eco-friendly transport.
The latest issue of business weekly The Edge carries a full-page article in support of the re-introduction of trams in Penang.
But one major caveat: Any proposal to bring back trams must be based on the soundest financial feasibility study, with room for possible cost overruns provided. The over-riding concern is that the project should not be a drain on public resources.
So far, these are the bloggers and websites that support the re-introduction of trams in Penang:
- Mustafa K Anuar
- Susan Loone
- Mucked in a Jam
- Penang Watch
- Kris Khaira
- Surind
- Anything Goes
- LAH-mour
- No Kacau and Don’t Kacau
- Stephen Doss
- Contemporary Malaysia
- Black and White (Justin Choo)
- The Kuala Lumpur Traveller
- Forest Explorers
- Apprize
- News for Malaysians
- Wartawan Rasmi Laman Reformasi
- DanielYKL
- Lucia Lai
- I am a Malaysian
- Carol and Jeffrey’s Big View of the World
- Lestari Heritage Network
- Motivation in Motion
- World Messenger
- Brand Bounce
- Sources of Life
- Maaran Matters
- Messy Christian
- Sivin Kit’s Garden
- u-jean
- Fair is what fair wants
- BalikPulau.org
- Sally Knits
- Accidental Blogger
- The Freak
- The Stray World
- Rainstormz
- The Dreamkid Lair
- pbsiew
- Binding Love
- Everything under the Malaysian Sun
- Strategic Analysis and Thoughts
- Justice4otk
- Ecowarriorz
- Teohyj
- prashant’s trashpan
- anilnetto.com
Related posts:
Yes! bring them back!
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See my corporation and funding proposals at http://ctchoolaw.blogspot.com/2008/07/penangs-public-transportation-radical.html
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Hello Anil,
enjoyed yr blog. Penang’s traffic has to be resolved if it is to attract tourists and those who wish to live on a retirement basis.Locals and foreigners.
TRAMS: YES – we have to go for what is environmentally friendly, can move the people and fast trams would do it
LRT: Penang may also need this.
BUS: Rapid Penang isn’t rapid at all. It doesn’t even have shelters for those wishing to ride them. Hardly an incentive to get people to take public transport and believe me, this is where the entire world is headed. Get them built. Increase frequency of buses. I am a traveller. They should be running every 15/20 mins. All over the island.
If other cities in the world can do it, so can Penang. Get the facts/figures/get it done/organise the money to build what is needed,clear the streets of so many cars/pollution. Pedestrianise where possible. Make Penang tourist-friendly. BRING BACK THE PEARL IT ONCE WAS. Can be done, all it needs is community will, drive,committment,money to make it happen. GO FOR IT PENANG.
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Yes, bring the trams back. Not only will it help to ease some of the traffic congestion but it also brings back part of our historical heritage. I am sure tourists will love it too.
However, we must also increase our bus service to be more regular. Today, my maid who wanted to go out shopping, had to wait one and half hours for a bus. She almost gave up. So, the Penang government must come up with a solution to solve this problem. Maybe the Penang Govt can start a blog asking for the people’s suggestions on how to do this. Some brilliant person out there might have a solution. Maybe advertise in the paper as a competition to help solve this problem.
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For years, there is only talk, talk and talk. That was under the old government. If they have been sincere and firm, Penang would have an efficient transport system as early as 10 years ago. So now if it’s still talk and talk, I think the tram project is the best, cleanest, cheapest and most beneficial of all. The time has come to stop talking about improving the bus system which pollute the air, take up Penang’s limited road space and is, to me, a short term solution that benefit’s the people but more of some people’s interest. Stop talking about monorail if the cost is soooo expensive because talking is cheap. So start getting serious on the tram project. The new government can show the rest of Malaysia and the world how it can be done and do it fast before the next GE. Stop wasting time and start doing it now!!
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Dear Anil,
recently received an email about anti tram in penang, check the site.
http://www.penang-traveltips.com/say-no-to-trams.htm
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Whether is the tram system by the City of Edinburgh or San Francisco, the tram system will give Penang a class by itself.
Let the tram system fund, build, operate, and manage by Penang folk and no “outsider” shall put their hand on it, especially the BN…. If they put their hand in tram system, before even an inch of soil is moved, … inflated cost.
A tram system build on the existing road system will not cost billions but less then RM20 millions. I am sure the Penang govt. or even the Penang folks are capable to fund the project and keep it for the Penang folks.
With low cost to build, dense population, and tourism, the Tram system will made profit in not time.
Let go for it and show what Penang lan can do by themselves. Penang had done it before, this time, you can do better.
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Hi Anil,
I think your idea is brilliant!I too agree with many others that trams would work better in Penang than monorails.I’ve been living in Dublin Ireland for the last 2 years and they too have trams called LUAS which have been operating around the city centers and suburbs for a few years now.It’s pretty efficient in terms of getting people around the city centers although it is true that sometimes the time schedule gets interrupted by traffic jams on the roads,cyclist that don’t bother to watch out for the trams and also motorcyclist.But this is only a small matter because average delay that these trams do get is about 7-10 mins.So I think your campaign is brilliant and I would love to help u in every possible way so that this campaign would be a success.I’ll be back to Penang for good middle of this month so if u have any campaigns,talks or watever..count me in!Let’s make Penang a better place to stay!If Abdullah Badawi doesn’t want to support the Penang Government…who cares!This tram project will cost much much less…and we can start implementing this in Georgetown are first and then slowly expand it!We can do this!!
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[...] Pass the word around or perhaps join the campaign too. [...]
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Why doesn’t the Penang govt. try a pilot program first?
1 – Increase the number of buses on popular routes.
2 – Then slash the fares to something standard like:
$0.20, $0.50 per person depending on zones, $0.50 being the max
$0.20 school students in uniform
3 – Introduce an “express” service, say from Bayan Baru to Georgetown with only 2-3 stops (using the coastal road) and free feeder buses from those coastal road stops to other main bus routes.
4 – Introduce car parks for car poolers or public transport users in strategic places. Charge a flat fee and don’t make it exorbitant.
This means that the fares are heavily subsidized. Now run this program for a few months and compare this to building a tram system which would still be susceptible to jams, rempits, etc. The tram is a nice novelty but I don’t see trams improving much of anything. If you want cleaner air, then get cleaner buses (NGV ones).
BTW, do all things have to be privatized? I rode on MPPP and Yellow buses when I was in school. Seriously, no difference. Both have bad service.
I like an underground LRT system, but there is no money for it.
Just a thought.
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This is an excellent idea for a very long time.
Keep it up Guan Eng. You are now making Penang more attractive as a historical City, worthy of its name.
Wondered why the last Gormen did not think of this?
Maybe Trams do not costs BILLIONS!!!
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Read through all the posting. I think everyone has their good intention and view. Tram or not, I think the root cause of Anil proposing this is to resolve 1 issue. Penang public transport system.
Lets step back and look at the situation,
1. Who run the show for Malaysia public transport department? Federal government
2. Does State government has any authority to make changes? No. They can suggest or influence BUT no.. No changes..
3. So can CM make any push to change? Not really..
So.. conclusion end of the day, be it Tram or NOT Tram.. to change public transport is near to equally only 1 answer.. Everyone should by now know the answer…… Go figure..
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Trams maybe good from the tourism point of view but do you think our roads are wide enough for them? You wanna have wires hanging all over your heads in our narrow streets? What a mess! Don’t compare with Melbourne, Zurich, whatever. It won’t be practical here.
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I fully support re-introduce Trams back on Penange. I am a Penangite now living in The Hague, The Netherlands. Tram is a main public transportation here in The Netherlands, be it in The Hague, Amsterdam or Rotterdam. The roads in these city are narrow and car are aplenty, yet you will be amazed how Trams co-exist so efficiently with cars on the road, cyclist and pedestrain a like. And the Trams here are not for tourist, it is really a main transportation for the general public, people use it to go to school, go to work, go about their normal daily live. I do beleive it is a viable option for Penang Island.
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Anil,
add me to the list of bloggers too. I am adding this pic to my blog too to show support. Thank you very much. i hope you don’t mind me pinching this photo.
-Vick-
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Edit (above post)
I Created a new picture for the Trams Support…I am not using your image as of now as i am not too sure if you would be okay with it
…thank you anyway…do visit my blog.
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The tram suggested is a very good idea , but in this prospective I suggested that create an additional modes of transport that is a very good services by bus operator , monorail for the entire Penang island combine with the most important factor that is changes of the public towards public transportation . All of this combine will create a very good transportation system that will benefit ALL .
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Trams are a bad idea for Penang unless they want to make The Rock 2 and use a tram in one of their action stunts and get paid billions for it. Jughead is right, they must consider distance, space, weather, other vehicles, pedestrians, dogs and also cats. If trams can cater for the whole of Penang, then they must consider banning motorist from entering crucial city limits during certain time period. This will definitely motivate the Mat Rempits to show off. If they decide on Monorails then they must approach the politically motivated Scomi to implement the project… Public Transport like buses and cabs will be required but not on a large scale. If they can come up with a phased implementation of the monorail to cater to crucial city centers and outskirts encompassing the majority of Penangites then this i think in my opinion is the best solution. Dont forget the security details like CCTV Cameras, Security at every drop off point and since Penang is a Tourist attraction, monorail services in the wee hours of the morning. Otherwise it’s useless. Geez, i forgot to consider the monkeys somewhere up there.
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Owh, now I know penang hav’ Trams before this. Thanks for the info bro..
Anyway, i agree with u anil, penang is so jammed right now, that’s why I hate go to town around office hour, at georgetown, greenlane, bayan lepas, huh!
I think, trams is the best solution for all penangites!
p/s: I just add the image to campaign it!
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and one more..
how if you make the online petition =D
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penang is one of well know “country” .first it make immpressive on the outlook of penang,it also will reduce pollution.alot of foreign country had develop and used this method so i felt there is no reason why we should not have tram in penang.at current situation it good to revised back the transport system to run more effective .syabas penang
bala
new zealand
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in my bumble opinion, i think monorail is better than trams in term of road safety. think bout it.
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why not just get trams on the inner city of georgetown and monorail system that can connect the island and butterworth? trams are suitable in the heritage zone.
IMO population will grow, someday in the future Penang gonna go for a monorail system, why not now? it is better to build it now in term of cost and it is easier to do it now than later, buildings will keep erecting no matter how we stop them, thats a fact and we dont want to make things more complicated when we relly do need a monorail in the future.
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I’d like to support this but I am not a Penangite…perhaps you can have alternatives like Trams for Penang for us Penang fans from KL?
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I know it’s ugly, but still think the monarail is a better choice.
trams is good to transport tourist around the heritage zone, but it is really safe on penang street? i don’t think so. look at how our motorist behave, they cant even follow the simple traffic rules.
If anything bad happen between the trams and motorist, some ppl gonna blame the state government for it.
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