Today, I just want to thank God for confounding the proponents of the mega transport projects in Penang and delaying them (just like he confounded those pushing for the PGCC project). The bridge partners are now arguing about cost apportioning and design costs – and the project hasn’t even started! Porr, on the other hand, has not even got off the ground after years of inaction while the monorail salesmen are busy trying to convince the Penang government that the overhead train is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel.
All these multibillion projects may not be in the best interest of the state and of ordinary Penangites. Think about this:
Fact No. 1 – The oil price today is US$116 per barrel (for dated Brent Spot) – and we can expect the upward trend to continue. Can you imagine how much the petrol will cost just to go up and down the bridge in say 10 years? And let’s not even talk about the toll.
Fact No. 2 – World oil production is close to a peak and it is increasingly more difficult and more expensive to find new oil reserves. Production will not be able to keep pace with demand.
Fact No. 3 – Malaysia will become a net importer of oil within a few years and our oil reserves may not last more than a generation.
Fact No. 4 – The roads of Penang are already congested. In fact, Penang Island already has a higher traffic density than Singapore even though Singapore has about 5-6 times the population of Penang Island. How much more traffic can it absorb before it becomes a living hell?
Fact No. 5 – The ferry service today is operating at half the capacity compared to the late 1970s. The old ferry terminal on the mainland which collapsed was never rebuilt. No wonder the ferry service does not have the economies of scale that it once did. No wonder there is so much congestion on the bridge.
Fact No. 6 – Climate change and global warming are here to stay.
Fact No. 7 – More cost effective alternatives have not been considered.
With this in mind, it is amazing that our “planners” want to take us down the (tolled!) path of unsustainable transport infrastructure projects that promote private vehicle ownership and more fossil fuel consumption and which will lead to congestion, pollution and global warming.
Let’s tot up the bill for going down this unsustainable path:
Second Penang Bridge – RM4.3 billion (UEM is said to have come up with a figure of RM4.8 billion!)*
Penang Outer Ring Road – RM1.1 billion
Monorail – RM3.5 billion
Total cost: RM8.9 billion
Allowing for further cost escalations, say a total of RM10 billion at least.
* This cost is probably inflated, as one expert told me that material costs for the second bridge should not exceed a billion ringgit – RM2 billion at most. Even The Edge business weekly in its cover story this week suspects that the RM4.3 billion figure could be inflated.
With a fraction of that RM10 billion total bill, we could do wonders for public transport – and other social spending – in Penang.
What could we do with say RM3-4 billion?
- Expand the ferry service and build more ferry terminals at different locations
- Introduce trams
- Build a cross-channel rail link perhaps alongside the Penang Bridge
The Penang state government’s new high-powered team for the second bridge should shift its focus to public transport for the whole state.
It is incredible that we can even think of mega transport projects when we haven’t even come up with a transport masterplan for the state that would promote public transport. We haven’t even considered the implications for traffic and the environment in the state.
Why the hurry to spend billions before thoroughly studying the situation and looking at feasibility studies? In the first place, why even borrow US$800 million from China to finance the second bridge? And where are the EIA reports?
We still have time to do some proper planning before throwing away billions – which ordinary Penangites will have to bear for years.
In the meantime, expand the ferry service. That should immediately reduce congestion on the bridge.
And then let’s consider ALL the alternatives which would include an improved bus service, trams, ferries and a cross-channel rail link. Come up with an integrated masterplan and don’t work on a piece-meal, ad hoc basis.
Penangites cannot make an informed choice if we have not considered all the various options thoroughly and listened to the views of the best public transport experts from around the world (ie those who do not have any vested interests in infrastructure projects). Why not invite public transport experts from cities with excellent public transport to tell us how they reduced their traffic nightmares at a fraction of the cost?
The good thing about promoting public transport is that it will create more long-term local jobs. Think of the construction of new ferries and ferry terminals, assembling of buses, laying of rail tracks for trams, more ferry pilots, ferry crew, tram drivers, bus drivers, admin staff, maintenance personnel…
It will lead to less stress and congestion on the roads as pedestrians and cyclists reclaim the streets. It will also be a lot more sustainable and spark more economic activity in the town centres as the experience of other cities with excellent public transport amply demonstrates.
Wouldn’t you want to live in a charming heritage city where you could walk past old shophouses along the tree-lined streets in town, use efficient public transport that won’t cost an arm and a leg, sip a drink at a road-side cafe and watch the world go by without choking from the fumes of passing vehicles? I know I would.
Do you really think those boys in Putrajaya share this vision of Penang? Do you think they care about the environmental consequences?
In a sense, we are at a crossroads. Penang is in a unique position to do something different – something sustainable, environmentally friendly and people and pedestrian friendly – which could be the talking point of the region. If we go down the wrong road, I don’t even want to think of the consequences. It will be the end of Penang as we know it.
Anyone up for a ‘Bloggers for Trams’ in Penang campaign?
Hi Anil,
I fully support your analysis on why we shouldn’t rush into the second bridge project. The brain dead Putrajaya goons are not bothered about the consequences Penangites have to endure as long as they receive their massive kickbacks.
The solution is a total re-invent of the Ferry services & a pararell rail link on the present bridge to the island with efficient public transportation. The total cost would be 50% off the projected 10 billion & great savings to the State Govt & Penangites in general, but those with vested interest would not be happy as they watch their days of wine & roses slip through their fingers. The CM of Penang must be firm in clamping down these corrupt practises which only benefit those who rub shoulders with those that walk the corridors of Power – Amen
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Kah Seng, please DO NOT compare HK with Penang.
HK is made up of SEVERAL ISLANDS, and the mainland (san gai)
Penang, however, is made up of ONE main island, and the mainland (Prai)
HK needs boats, because of the several island. Penang, we can do away with the ferry, because we have but one main island which can be hooked up with bridges or tunnels to the mainland.
I worked in HK too, on assignments. I’m as familiar with HK as you are, Kah Seng. So there’s no comparison, okay?
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BTW, Anil, can you please tell our …CM that we don’t need that monorail thing. It just won’t work for Penang.
With the MAX capacity of ferrying 16K people per hour, which we can do with an additional 300 buses, we ought not spend 2.2 billion on the monorail.
Rather, we should get a subway system that has a max capacity of more than 200K passengers per hour, PER TRACK, PER LINE. (For example, East-west bound line – from Paya Terubong to Ferry Terminal – can have up to 4 tracks, two on each ways, so they can stop at alternate subway stations, speeding up the deliveries. North-south bound line (Tanjung bunga to Bayan Lepas can have the same too !)
And please tell that … CM that if he wants to do it, do it properly. Stop looking for patchwork or band-aid solutions. We need something that would work for us for the next 50 years, or more.
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dont be so sure oil has hit its peak, $200 per barrel may happen, get ready for a financial crash
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Dear Anil,
do you stand for the truth and fair comment?
i cannot understand why you lead a one track campaign for trams.
Trams were removed from Penang because they FAILED in Penang.Its in the book by Vic himself.You dont invite nor appreciate transport experts opinions , in fact your followers
chide and ridicule them . this makes your blog quite irresponsible , just like main stream media that we deplore.
This new era is about constructive debate rather than traditional one sided views being pumped into you daily by MSM You are turning into what you despise one sided one tracked opinion that pushes your agenda,…without considering you could very well be wrong.Case in point is trams,totally irrelevant and outdated system for Penang.It is very good system for cities that have wide roads and enoungh space to give up the space for trams or have it for nostalgic reasons like the becha or rickshaw,but not as a mode public transportation for the tight conditions that we have. as many have commented in your blog the answer lies in a good subway system. Trams are not it
god bless
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Dear Tuan Sher
I am not the only one in favour of trams. But you are free to agree or disagree.
Ric himself has been advocating a return of trams in Penang.
Perhaps you might care to look into why the historical and heritage City of Edinburgh is putting up a modern tram system in a big way. Its streets are not any wider than Penang’s.
Check out this link:
http://www.tramtime.com/tramfacts.html
Outdated? Think again.
best wishes
Anil
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[...] Anil Netto [...]
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Anil
You have my support in any campaign for improved public transport. Whether it turns out to be tram or subway or bus or BRT does not matter right now.
Looking at technology is premature right now.
What does matter is that there is a plan, that this plan is based on realistic numbers, and the plan will prepare us for the next 10 years and beyond.
Cheers, Moaz Yusuf Ahmad
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Dear Anil
I came ascross this yahoo news posting today about the opening of the 36 km world’s longest sea bridge in Shanghai at US1.7b or RM 5.5 billion. The web link is at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080501/sc_afp/chinaconstructionbridgeroad
Perhaps you would like to highlight the comparison with the 24 km RM 4b Penang 2nd Bridge in your blog.
Our local costings would seem to be way out of whack given the China bridge is all over sea, while our is a mix. This would be so even if you factor in increase in materials cost and inflation.
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Everyone, write to Penang state government by email:
http://www.penang.gov.my
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Anil
I am totally in support of your suggestion on how to spend Rm3-4billion to improve the transportation service. Firstly, the suggestion to expand the ferry service and to increase the existing numbers of terminals is an excellent idea. Allow me to suggest that the ferry service should be upraded to better and bigger ferries to give an air of comfort for users. The new terminals should be planned in such a way that it is also a tourist draw as well as for locals to ‘lepak’. What this means is that the terminal itself can be planned as a commercial/entertainment place. Kopitiams, restaurants, pubs etc must be opened as this will attract people to want to lepak at this terminals for their food, drinks or just to take a leisure casual ferry ride and back. I am sure more can be done along those lines and I am not surprised this could be a hit with locals and foreigners alike.
As for the trams, it’s also a good suggestion. Baring that the trams are not going to disrupt the present traffic condition or make it worse than it already is, the tram would be a very good tourist draws. It would be very good to actually see nice looking trams cruising around the island. Although it may not be the most effective mode, it is save to assume that it would at least help. As I said, so long as it is not going to make the situation worse, think of the economy of Penang. The stations on these trams should also be located at strategic tourist spots and also businesses open around it.
I hope the present state govt. would explore all ways to make the tourist come back to this island. Chief Minister LGE, it is your duty now to make this Pearl Shine again! For the People of Malaysia.
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