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
[...] far at least 20 bloggers have joined in the campaign. That’s brilliant! Click here to see the full list. If you are a blogger and you want to join in the campaign, just leave a [...]
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I am in too !
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Here’s my two sen worth.
I stayed in Melbourne, Australia for three years where trams are its common mode of public transport within Greater Melbourne.
Yes, trams gives the city some elegance and “cuteness”, but it also comes with a great deal of discipline on the part of pedestrians, commuters and motorists.
In Melbourne, trams have the right of way. PERIOD. No IFs or BUTs about it. Whenever a tram stops to pick up or drop off a passenger, motorists following behind stops. Since its lines are in the middle of the road where the stops are situated, whenever passengers wishes to get off/on, they have the right of way to cross the road, and motorists stops. Whenever trams wishes to turn at the traffic lights, motorists give way.
I really cannot see Malaysians (be it Penangites or locals from elsewhere) doing the same here. I would like to be proven wrong !!
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Dear Supporters of TRAMP IN PENANG,
GREAT IDEA BUT IS IT PRACTICAL & APPLICABLE..?
I agree to this idea but only have 1 question to it. Look at the size or rather width of our Penang City Streets, eg,Penang Road,Beach Street,Chulia Street,Burma Road,CArnavon Street..etc which consist of our major Penang City Streets.
Question is is it wide enough to put up a Tramp that goes 2 ways and still allow the usage of cars,lorrys,vans,motobikes,rickshaw.etc to travel on it.
At the moment it is already and almost immposible to expand the width of the access roads which we are using so how to add in a TRAMP SYSTEM on the same road space…?
Can someone enlighted me on this or some expert town planning people explain the feasibility of this project first.
Then we can see if it is practical and applicable..I just cannot imagine where to put it or how it can be done even though it is a Nobel Idea and I support it.
Desmond Lee
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With trams there’s always a romantic notion
Whatever the actual speeds for their motion
They bring along their uniqueness to the nation
Let’s get the trams back and not miss the next station
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 010608
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 1st June 2008.
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Dear Anil,
You can put my blog name down as supporting the “Penangites for Trams” campaign, if you want.
My blog world messenger
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Buses for Penang??? I would be the first to say yes BUT subject to what their routes would be. Bus services should begin from points outside Georgetown City itself. Bus/Tram terminals should be located at such points as Jelutong (around Bukit Dumbar or Tesco area), Ayer Itam Road (near Han Chiang High School) and Tanjong Tokong area (near the fire station/temporary Hawker stall site. While these are suggested locations for bus services to begin and tram ser4vices to end, the MPPP can review and look at other possible alternatives. Bus services should should begin from these terminals to radiate outwards to Bayan Lepas,Balik Pulau, Telok Bahang, Batu Feringgi, Ayer Itam and the out lying areas of Penang while tram services should be from the same terminals and proceed into all parts of the city itself. Trams can be designed to be ‘slimmer’ to ensure that not much ‘space’ is taken when the trams travel through the city. ‘Mat rempits’, selfish drivers or rickshaw riders etc., will remain a problem IRRESPECTIVE of whether buses or trams are allowed to run through the city. As such, control of these ‘road demons’ should be the problem of the police. Be aware that the provision of Tram service will be more beneficial to the city (less exhaust fumes,tourist attraction) than exhaust spewing buses in the hands of dangerous drivers.
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Look at world most liveable city like Melbourne, Adelaide and Endingurh, they are all choosing tram.
Look at poorly manage transport like Kuala Lumpur, LRT is not integrated well, or is it?
Please study carefully population of Penang. MRT is only for large cities. If you implemented MRT on Penang island, you would go bankcrupt.
What historical city like Georgetown needs is to implement (very much lower cost than monorail) tram network like Melbourne. Have you visited Melbourne? By the way, Melbourne city is 10 times larger than Georgetown. Correct?
The whole Penang state population still could not match Melbourne.
Is tram in San Francisoc nice? It is just romantic.
Tram is a tourist product as well as could replace RapidPenang going around inner city of Georgetown. Why? Try to ride on tram in Melbourne and you would know why. Feel it yourself.
Tram could also be fast deployed on 3rd left lane of Penang Bridge when the extention completed by UMNO company UEM.
Monorail could have NO WAY to use existing Penang bridge but tram track could be laid on present Penang Brdige.
SO, where is the wisdom of the leaders and Penangites? If you want fast public transport to be on island and pay low commuter ticket, go for tram!
KL LRT is messy. Look at Melbourne and Adelaide first.
Please look at world top 30 cities first: who are they? By identifying who are they, you would see more clearly what are they?
http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html
Tram is suitable for narrow streets like those in Europe.
Try to visit world most liveable Melbourne and feel it.
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Anak Pulau Pinang:
Please see here – Trams don’t take up a lot of road space
See at benefits of tram – http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/transport/public_transport/trams/cec_edinburgh_tram_benefits
http://www.worldofstock.com/search_pages/tram.php
So write to your Penang state government at http://www.penang.gov.my/index.php?ch=29
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[...] The tram initiative is building up momentum. So far, 25 bloggers and websites have signed on to the campaign. [...]
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I think it should be supported.
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If only we have lots of these in KL. Count me in.
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Bravo,
Good effort Anil.
Hopefully the new state government and dumb federal government will open thier eyes and ears, not thier pockets.
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I’ve taken trams in Manchester (or was it Liverpool? I can’t remember) and in San Francisco. Absolutely love them. I believe this is totally possible in Penang, my state of birth.
) Imagine the tourist possiblities too!
One thing I noticed about San Francisco’s tram – the line goes around the city in such a way that whereever you get down you can walk to your destination. Then again, SF is a pretty small city and it’s easy to walk every where.
The tram routes in Penang could function very much the same way. It doesn’t have to zig zag around the streets of Penang. It could just circle the town so that people can get down and walk to their destination …
Oh, if I remember correctly, the tram in Liverpool/Manchester has a barrier between it and the road. So, if you’re worried about pesky pedestrians and cars criss crossing the lane, that could work too.
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PS count me as a blogger that supports this initiative..
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What I’ve read so far:
Tram, don’t take up a lot of road space. For any good public transportation to work that competes with car for space on the road, it would need its own dedicated lane on the road. Now, how do you do that on the road in Georgetown?
Before you want to do that, might as well have the dedicated bus lane as the main backbone for the public transport. But that itself would be difficult because of the road condition in Georgetown.
Tram can only work effectively if there is a good bus system that compliments it but if the bus system is deplorable, how do you expect people to abandon their car and take the tram instead. Tram are not able to stop in front of the destination that you’re going (most of the time) so you’ll still need to use the bus to reach your destination. And with our inconsistence bus service in Penang, how long would a normal journey take? Oh I forgot, most of the people who support the tram do not use the public transport in Penang. Most of tram supporter have seen and took the tram before in other country before and would like Penang to implement it. Well I’m sure in those countries, you can see a lot of people cycling to their destination but would you promote that in Penang? Would you let your teenage son/daughter to cycle to school or to Georgetown?
Just because it is ‘clean, energy saving and user-friendly not to mention fast, efficient and also cheap’, it looks good on other place doesn’t mean it is feasible in Penang
Most of the country that have tram is a 1st world country where most of it have wide road compare that to the congested small road in Penang with no more room for expansion unless you want to tear down the >80+ building found along Georgetown
Even if ‘Melbourne city is 10 times larger than Georgetown and that the whole Penang state population still could not match Melbourne.’, Penang island is denser than Melbourne:
Melbourne population / area : 3,806,092 / 2153 km² = 1767/ km2
Penang Island : 678,000 / 295 km2 = 2298/ km2
Data taken from Wikipedia
Is that the end of it? Nope. Kindly open up Google Earth and check out Penang Island and compare that to Melbourne. You’ll notice that Penang Island is make up of more than 50% hill and it is concentrated mostly in 1/3 of the west side of the island. So if we were to take this into account, our density should be 678,000 / 100km2 = 6780 km2. That is 4-5 times denser than Melbourne
If you want to have tram in Georgetown, you must ensure that there is a sizeable people who will abandon their car and use it. Road user would not like the idea that there is going to be a tram competing with them on the narrow road of Georgetown. At least monorail and the subway system would not compete with road user.
To Khoo San,
‘Hong Kong’s tram is working smoothly after 100 years of service and tram is considered an effective mode of transport.’
They can do that as they got a good bus system as a backbone to support it. Do we have that in Penang?
There was also a plan to use back the old tram road on Penang road. I wonder how senior citizens are going to cross safely to the sidewalk with all the mat rempit around. Ever thought of that?
To lucialai,
I’ve downloaded the PowerPoint by Ric Francis and notice one thing about it. Did you notice that all the tram that is available in other cities does not have traffic condition similar to Penang and I don’t see a lot of mat rempit in it. And about the propose tram route in Georgetown by Ric, I don’t see it doing any better than what a good bus system would provide instead. More comfortable ride? We’re not living in Penang as a tourist
Don’t get me wrong on this, if we have the extra space around in Georgetown, we don’t have mat rempit roaming around, we got an excellent bus service, people would actually give up driving then I’m all for the tram service
Please do not learn the mentality of BN, just because a plan sound and look good, they want to implement it. But with the delivery system not existing at all, it is usually swept under the carpet.
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1.can you justify the actual cost involve including the hidden cost.
2.can you please estimate the profits or return on investment.
3.Your ealier costing is very low and very tempting for business people if you can prove its profitable.
I believed you as accountant already workout a formula in your mind.
The figure you quoted is very low and my idea is simple as follows-
1.If the amount to revive the tram is low and the Penang chief minister can buy your teory the money should be none issue.
WHY THE MONEY IS NONE ISSUE.
1.Alots of malaysian still cash rich.
2.Returns of fixed deposit is mere 3%.
3.The public can be your investor ( with such low sum,u can create malaysian public to invest in your dream.)
MR.ANIL – EVERYONE HAVE A DREAM AND EVERYDAY WE DREAM – I CAN BET MY LAST PENNIES IF YOU DO A BIT MORE PUSH IN YOUR DREAM PROJECT-your dreams will become a reality.Lets this project become malaysian holding company.
I am in as a small minority shareholder in your dream.Its up to you to pursue further.
rajraman-still dreaming in my dream to be malaysian putra.
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Done and added to my blog…
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Dear Anil,
IMHO, Penang island is a unique place where many roads (especially in town area) are narrow and short. To overcome traffic congestions we need to stop or discourage vehicles into the traffic in order for mass public transportation like buses, tramps to arrive on time.
The cheapest and quickest way is to shutdown certain roads and to give priority to public buses, bas kilang, school buses etc. I guess this can be carried out almost immediately. This idea may sound drastic or unwelcome to many of us who have our own cars but is good for all.
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[...] will! And perhaps, a bit of intensive lobbying by us Malaysians. Penang bloggers are lobbying for trams in the Penang (I’m all for that). Perhaps Selangor bloggers can lobby for pedestrian and biking lanes in [...]
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I am all for it. Come to think of it I might even come back to Penang for my retirement
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I think trams will come later in the future. Focus on the task at hand to improve the bus services in Penang. Then only talk about trams.
Good idea but very expensive to implement.
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Expensive, maybe, but still a lot cheaper than monorail (and minus the ugly pillars) or subway.
And yes, the buses need to be improved. No reason why that can’t be done together with looking at other modes of public transport.
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Well for me, I’ll support anything that can help to improve lovely Penang. May it be monorail or trams, both would be wonderful for Penang(wonderful alternative to ease the congestions and also a superb tourists attraction).
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Proudly on BalikPulau.org blog too for some time now, Anil
really am enjoying your blog posts…
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