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.

http://www.penang.gov.my

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.

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