Trams: Can Penang emulate The Netherlands?

Trams glide along the narrow streets of Amsterdam (Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Leidsestraat_Amsterdam.JPG)

Blog reader Josh, a Penangite in the Netherlands, is impressed with the trams over there:

I fully support the re-introduction of trams in Penang. I am a Penangite now living in The Hague, The Netherlands. Trams are the main public transportation here in The Netherlands, be it in The Hague, Amsterdam or Rotterdam.

The roads in these city are narrow and cars are aplenty; yet you will be amazed how trams co-exist so efficiently with cars on the road, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

And the trams here are not for tourists; they are really the main transportation for the general public: people use them to go to school, go to work, go about their normal daily lives.

I do believe they are a viable option for Penang Island.

TheLastGig, who has also experienced Amsterdam’s tram system, agrees:

I fully agree with Josh. I was in Amsterdam for a week and I find the trams to be very efficient; you can go practically everywhere around Amsterdam especially with the multiple-journey strippenkart. The most important thing is to plan the network so that it can cover more areas without compromising on the efficiency.