If Copenhagen can allow pedestrians, cyclists and others to reclaim the streets from cars, why not Penang?
It’s not rocket science.
Note there was initial scepticism and cynicism when the plans were car-free areas were first announced. Many said it couldn’t work … the weather was not suitable, people are so used to cars and not keen on walking, local businesses would suffer, etc.
But look at the results. Even small local businesses seem to be thriving as pedestrians and cyclists feel more relaxed roaming around these areas.
So why not in Penang… The weekly car-free day in Beach Street and nearby areas is a good start. Let’s gradual expand this idea throughout the state and prove that it can be done in Malaysia as well. It could also give our eco-friendly trishaw riders a new lease of life.
Thanks to Ho Hia Tee for the Youtube link. By the way, have you all registered for Penang Forum 4? Details here. Hope to see you there.
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No Car festival celebrated elsewhere ….so pls don’t “kao pei kao boh” over in Penang just for one day w/o using car, ok ?
Yes, please dont kau peh kau bor, Penang people are good at that !!!
You know Penang people they are so pampered… They want things done at their finger tips like buses have to stop right in front at their doorstep…
I would love to see something like this in Penang but reading at some of the posting above it make sense as well! I am just comparing to a country very close to us which has limit the usage of private vehicles, Singapore, have they done something similar? I think there is something which is not suitable for our climate! By all means close the roads but provide free tram service hurray! maybe add in a bar inside the tram! at least I can drink and not caught for drunk driving….. drunk walking?
Or Kopi-O kau kau free serving on the trams. This will definitely make my day trips down town. Life in inner city George Town will be heavenly as Anil aptly puts it. Trams, bicycles, becas, Penny-farthing, bullock carts, and all on wheels eco.
By then the car salesmen will Kau Peh Kau Boh!
We must make people less dependant on cars.
Learn to do without private car.
Use public transport.
Reduce our carbon footprint and accelerate the demise of Proton to save our nation.
can we do shopping pedestrian way ala china style along car free Penang Road in the future ? May be this is one way to revive the streets of Penang to compete with ever increasing air-con enclosed shopping malls ?
more videos to support healthy living & stir the anti-bike-hornet-nests in Penang :
when there’s a will, there’s a way, right readers ?
The cycling fraternity and mother earth rejoice. To sceptics, this might seem like one small effort to cut down on congestion/pollution in Penang but still, this is one ‘little’ step in the right direction. There is growing interest for the health concious, and hence the take up of cycling, as a positive pursuit amongst the young and trendy in the Klang Valley. It wasn’t till recent that I found out some bicycles can cost a princely sum. There are carbon composites that start off at RM$7-8000+ while the Rolls Royce of bicycles ie titanium bikes, anywhere from RM$10,000-15,000 (illiciting a… Read more »
Yes, one little step in the right direction !!!
To all the Penang people, please stop kau peh kau bor !!!
Only certain areas are car free not the whole of Penang, so please give it a try, ok?
anil,
how should we balance being idealistic and being practical as well? does penang have the same climate as copenhagen?
how would penangites go about in the hot afternoon sun or rain?
how do the danes go about when it’s winter?
if you could propose a solid workable plan that would work for the majority population of Penang (and don’t forget the mainland as well) with young and aged family members, who also have to work and attend to all other kinds of daily activities – that would be great.
How about planting more trees in barren George Town? Cyclists pedalling leisurely and pedestrians strolling along tree-lined avenues … wouldn’t that be heavenly?
Also no harm working up a bit of sweat. Sunlight provides Vitamin D, and a little bit of sweat and thirst would provide good business for coconut water and sugar cane juice vendors 🙂
And you blog for a living? Funny…….
(Is) sunny ooi … selling the likes of Nissan Sunny cars no wonder feel threatened the moment we encourage less usage of personal motor vehicles (to reduce carbon footprints) if possible ??????
dear anil, unfortunately, it still would not exactly be heavenly: 1. you would need a LOT of trees to provide enough coverage over a large area if cycling is to be widespread. and how about areas where there is insufficient space to plant trees? 2. leisurely? not everyone lives in a leisurely pace on a DAILY basis, to get to work, school, etc. do you expect an insurance agent who’s rushing from meeting to meeting to cycle from georgetown to bayan lepas and later to island glades? do you then expect him/her to show up to meet a prospective client… Read more »
And Copenhagen is in which planet?
Anil, if you compare Copenhagen and Penang, in terms of climes it is like apples and oranges. Did you consider the annual average temperatures in both cities? As mentioned by previous posts, how about our high annual rainfall? Cycling strolling in mid teens or 20s in Copenhagen on a clear day would definitely be heavenly. Try doing that in 30c or rain is a different matter altogether. Perhaps you need to look beyond the rosy and deal with realities once in a while. It is easy and utterly simplistic to say plant trees and everything will work fine. The practicalities… Read more »
Sure the practicalities need to be considered, but why shoot down a proposal that is definitely eco-friendly and possible to implement? After all, we had many cyclists in the past, and a growing number of cyclists now. Why should these cyclists play second fiddle to motorists when you consider that cyclists take up less space than motorists, they are environmentally friendlier and they cause fewer serious accidents. So why do cyclists have to risk their lives on the roads due to our obsession with cars?
And you think you can afford to live in Copenhagen?
I am all in for making Penang heavenly but dont go about complaining about property prices at the same time.
You cant have it all, unless you claim bumiputra rights. Are you?
Nobody is talking about living in Copenhagen. But if it can be done there in the face of a “car invasion”, why can’t it be done in Penang?
Belum cuba, belum tahu, right?
Why are you bringing the bumi issue into a discussion on car-free zones and cycling?
Bystander, you dont have to talk business in the car free areas la !!!
Please give car free a chance, and please give the trishaw ahpek a chance too, and also the hawkers selling drinks.
Complains about weather again? ROFL.
When the world moving forwards, Malaysian mindset just stand still. Do you know about electrical bicycle? And do you know why Malaysia central government ban it?
On the other hand, densely populated Shanghai and Beijing relies on it to move the population!
Besides the electrical bicycle, 1km cycling is much easier than walking 200 meters to your car under the hot sun.
Anil, why ROCKET science ??? I don’t like anything related to rocket. Rocket idea tak boleh pakai !!! EG: plastic ban
Ha ha, you joker.
Good to have K around. His gibberish is good for a laugh every now and then. Not unlike the village idiot….