This is a piece on the trams of Penang that I wrote as a guest blogger for The Guardian:
Image via Wikipedia
George Town on the island of Penang in Malaysia used to have a viable tram system in the early
20th century. It was part of a fairly integrated and efficient transport system.
But then the trams faded away in this British ‘Crown Colony’, with the advent of buses and private motor vehicles, at about the same time some of the tram systems in Europe disappeared.
After independence in 1957, the Penang city council operated a fairly efficient bus network. But the bus service suffered in the 1990s after services were privatised.
More and more people turned to private vehicles, as Malaysia encouraged a national car industry, churning out Proton models. Cars crowded the city’s narrow streets, navigating past rickshaw cyclists (the successors of the manual rickshaw pullers) as motorcyclists on Hondas weaved their way past slow-moving traffic. Full article here. Full article in The Guardian here.
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Tram again ???
Nowadays tram = trash
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Traffic in Penang has gone from bad to worse, sad to say LGE’s promise to improve it in GE 12 has not been fulfilled , guess he should learn from our PM to do a walkabout , better still if he just drives around the island himself without any outriders he MAY understand the situation but , like father n son who criticise others for not walking the talk , they are doing the same thing…… I hope someone can get into his head this suggestion
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Tram should not be considered as a trash. It was useful then but under the present circumstances it has become obsolete It is at least part of our legacy which we should treasure.
But for something like 52 years of corruptible and an incompetent government under UMNO and their weaklings like Gerakan, MCA & MIC, these certainly are trash that should be put away and the rubbish dump is the right place for it.
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Here we are again, we expect DAP/Lim Guan Eng/PR to put things right in 2 years’ time…
Absurdities !!!
We expect the moment PR seized Penang, a miracle happened and all the traffic woes gone ???
Yes, let us bin MCA and MIC in the next GE so that they can join their brother, Gerakan in the dump site forever…
Hidup Reformasi !!!
p/s Yang, why is tram obsolete? Melbourne city has tram…, can enlighten please. TQ! ,
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Why you run amok when nobody touch your supreme idol LGE ???
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Simple, because you talk nonsense.
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Kee,
Roads in Penang are too narrow for tram. If you have tram it take a lot of space and cause more congestion. Comparing current mode of transportation, tram indeed is not suitable. Tram in Melbourne are being ply at certain route mainly for tourism purpose. It is good if we can also emulate in Penang.
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Certain part of the Inner City can run the tram transport system which will create heritage / tourism value to Heritage Penang. Imagine hopping into antique trams and enjoying the ride and scenes of old world charm Penang. For the other commuters, proper road designation / traffic dispersal can be worked out for orderly commuting and road sharing. If the slowing and easy bechas can still run on our heavy-traffic Penang Road, why can’t a tram?
Tram system need not be an expensive affair. It is also eco-friendly and easy / cheap to maintain ( too bad for those looking for kang tau – it doesn’t cost billions ).
We should treasure things of cultural and historical value instead of demolishing and replacing them with modern but no-value ugly implemments / structures that hold no historical significance.
A good example: The new Penang Hill coaches (to be installed) don’t blend well with the environment of old stations, colonial bungalows and historical Penang Hill. Its modern efficient function is not an excuse to do away with Penang’s historical artifacts that are rare, hold world records and significance and still in good working condition. Tourists visit the Hill not in a mad rush, but to take in the slow ride of enjoying nature and history.
( LGE, please bear this in mind – Whether it’s the Fed’s project or not, things of cultural and historical significance to Penangites should be zealously protected, conserved and valued. Not to be sold away, demolished or bartered. They belong to the Penangites, to all Malaysians.)
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