Tunnel-highways: Public dialogue with Penang CM

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A public dialogue with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will be held this Sunday. The event is jointly organised by the Penang state government and Penang Forum.

Tentative programme

TUNNEL AND PROPOSED HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN PENANG
A PUBLIC DIALOGUE WITH THE CM OF PENANG, YAB LIM GUAN ENG 
DATE: SUNDAY 10 MARCH 2013
VENUE: THE TOWN HALL, THE ESPLANADE
TIME: 2PM-5PM

1.30 – REGISTRATION
2.00 -OPENING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON (IR AHMAD CHIK)
2.10 -THE STATE’S PROPOSAL ON THE 4 HIGHWAY PROJECTS (IR RAJENDRAN)
2.30 -GOING FORWARD INTO THE 21ST CENTURY? (DR LIM MAH HUI)
2.50 -YAB CM LIM GUAN ENG’S VISION
3.10 -QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM THE FLOOR
4.30 -CLOSING AND TEA

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Remington CK
Remington CK
19 May 2013 9.28pm

Well, to all respected Penang people, as long as we r certain,leaders (v chose) that suggested improvement r due to wanting improvement and not wanting commission or corruption, I think we Penang people should not be worry too much of the negatives rather instead looking forward to improvement with open heart.

dio
dio
23 Apr 2013 11.51pm

We need no more tunnel . Instead, have designated lanes for cyclists…and find ways to ease traffic congestion in Pg.

The whistle blower
The whistle blower
20 Mar 2013 1.59am

Anil, His face appear on a picture on star metro north, he was wearing a coat without tie on the left of the photo. I forgot the date of the news but it was the first press con by bucg zarul to explain things. I believe is 6 march. His business card shows he’s the marketing director. He drives an e-class wvd68. Foo Jee hai also team up with baili group of china to turn Wisma Yeap Chor Yee into a super high class boutique hotel with super high class Japan fine dining. They are also planning to acquire a… Read more »

Boey Moey
Boey Moey
15 Mar 2013 12.30pm

If I’m not wrong, the Tunnel Project was mooted quite some time back and I quite remember a Japanese firm has done a survey on the seabed linking Tg Tokong to Bagan Ajam, hence the Butterworth Outer Ring Road was constructed to cater to this project in future. Just imagine if the some of the traffic can be diverted away from Greenlane/Glugor/Bayan Lepas area, then there won’t be so much of congestion concentrated along this stretch. With the completion of the 2nd Penang Bridge, we can expect heavier traffic along this route, then the public will cry that the State… Read more »

SL Wong (@wong8898)
13 Mar 2013 9.18pm

By what means “justice” could be pursued in this matter as no full agreement between parties involved? Is it injustice if the final result favour the ‘yes’ side & unfavoured the ‘no’ side? Somehow decision have to be made & it may not please everyone. Is it “justice” to accept posts that please your eyes & reject posts that hurt your eyes? Somehow decision have to be made & the result may not please everyone too.

I believe justice do exist.

Ellese
Ellese
13 Mar 2013 7.15am

I think many people forget about local condition. We have been burdened with easy ownership of cars. Cars are always preferred to any other transportation as it provides a point to point transportation. So long as its easy to buy cars more people will buy car. Then, our weather is hot. People prefer not to walk under hot sun. To change you must change the incentives and disincentives to drive. Make cars more expensive. Make cars usage in town more expensive. Make public transportation more reliable. Impose congestion tax. Other developed cities have done that. Can’t see how the tunnel… Read more »

tunglang
tunglang
13 Mar 2013 9.55am
Reply to  Ellese

Change the Kia Su mentality (against thy neighbor Joneses Chan, Joneses Mutu, Joneses Ali) & the battle to change habits will see the light of day. Never mind the hot sun excuses & ease of car financing. This first step collective change is inevitable. Multi-prong solution is the way to go: Trams for heritage innercity George Town (to go inline with UNESCO heritage status & tourism potential), Bus rapid transit for connecting satellite towns served with bus interchanges. LRT running along coastal lines & the 2 Pg Bridges for connecting to FTZ & mainland, Coastal water ferries serving Balik Pulau/Sg… Read more »

Ellese
Ellese
13 Mar 2013 10.38pm
Reply to  tunglang

I like your kopi o kau suggestion.:) in fact your idea is acceptable. But seriously, if you don’t change disincentive for point to point it will not work. If Singapore does not have congestion tax, more people will drive in cbd town centre including yours truly. London too. Many people forget that economic tool is an effective mechanic in changing behavior. The capex solution is insufficient.

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
13 Mar 2013 5.27am

ah.. Wong.. I hope my reference to you in parenthesis is taken correctly..
(WE, meaning all who attended including myself, had zero rights to represent whole of Penang) as there was practically less than 1% participation from the common folks.. sad but true.. thus the outspoken ones must also consider their views before passionately championing their own as if they are “Penang” !!

Ong Eu Soon
13 Mar 2013 3.25am

According to Borneo Post, Sunway Bhd (Sunway), upon being awarded a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) contract valued at RM452.5 million, has been forecast to reap a seven to eight per cent profit margin from the job and also benefit in terms of improved connectivity to Bandar Sunway. The BRT would be 5.4 kilometres long and the contract covered the design, construction, completion and commission of the development, targeted to be completed within 24 months. This BRT of 5.4km costing RM452.5million is equal to almost RM84million per km. Compare to the cost of my initiative of RM15million per km, this is… Read more »

dpillai
dpillai
12 Mar 2013 4.42am

Anil, for those who couldn’t make it,we are still waiting for your report on this meeting.

The newspaper reports are one sided as usual.

Is it true that LGE asked the participants , ” are you ready for tunnel” and got a resounding “No”?

SL Wong (@wong8898)
12 Mar 2013 9.48pm
Reply to  dpillai

“No” follow by “Yes”.

In this small hall, all the “yes” and “no” have no rights to represent whole Penang people.

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
13 Mar 2013 5.22am

AGREED SL Wong.. Initially pockets of “NO”.. then more voices of “YES”.. but the press highlights the “NO” part.. WORSE, there’s highlight on that ONE donkey who kept shouting “Don’t be a Liar” twice.. who also had another who shouted him down !! PERSONALLY, it was quite tiring physically to stay focused all through the 3 hours.. BUT I believe the mood of the people (as also rightly pointed out by Wong.. who have zero rights to represent whole of Penang Kia’s).. was that they wanted the Highways.. maybe cautious on the Tunnel.. but surely majority in support of these… Read more »

tunglang
tunglang
13 Mar 2013 10.13am

Penangites at the dialogue have an ABSOLUTE RIGHT to express Yes or NO. Who wins? The Yes or the No? Show me the votes on paper. Representing (all Penangites) with a Yes or a No is a non issue. Why call for the dialogue in the first place? LGE dares to meet the people, that’s a first step to ‘talk’ & ‘cham seong’ & get a clearer picture from both sides of the discourse. Let’s not behave like a boyscout fighting for a frenzied vote (Yes or No) to stay out of Dracula’s night watch! This dialogue won’t change a… Read more »

The Whistle Blower
The Whistle Blower
11 Mar 2013 11.39am

… Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd’s chairman is (allegedly) the lieutenant of YB Padang Renggas, LGE’s best of pals!
Furthermore do you a uniform seller has the capability to be a director in Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd? the uniform seller is Foo Jee Hai of Amity Innovation Sdn Bhd.

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
11 Mar 2013 9.40am

Somebody dare to bluff! Guess what price he need to pay for it?

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 9.36pm

BTW Anil.. since you would probably announce this Public Dialogue during your Aliran Forum now.. and perhaps have a BUMPER crowd on Sunday at the Explanade Town Hall.. WILL you be having a pre-registration ??
Just to make sure enough people have seats ?

Yang
Yang
8 Mar 2013 2.21am

Anil, you are wrong. Many would rather drive their car singlely than take a bus. Unless car become so very expensive or you need a certificate that cost 60k, only then would they take public transport. Even if there is a jam they will still drive as they have the comfort of the air condition. I have not taken a bus for more than 20 years. Good public transport will only solve part of the problem but not all. It must come hand in hand with proper road, highway, bridges and tunnel couple with less vehicle on the road and… Read more »

Penang Ah Pek
Penang Ah Pek
7 Mar 2013 11.16pm

OES, if BN is sincere what have the done to resolve this for more than 50 years. No point barking now , move over LGE act with actions. KTC, totally agreed with SLWong, why wait for 20 years when there is a vision that it will come onboard sooner or later. why don’t you question BN for KLIA2 when the current KLIA 1 is under utilized or Langat 2 for that matter? On KKP , don’t act like yourself is like GOGGLE knows everything. Rightfully if one who does not used Public Transport as mode of traveling , one would… Read more »

SL Wong (@wong8898)
8 Mar 2013 1.04am
Reply to  Penang Ah Pek

Ordinary ppl see traffic light: Green, Yellow & Red.

LGE can only see both Green & Red lights are on each time.

No choice. That’s why he always wear Yellow shirt.

Billie cudk
Billie cudk
7 Mar 2013 2.47pm
Billie cudk
Billie cudk
7 Mar 2013 2.35pm

Read about it on Straight Talk Blog which CM’s Press secretary released a statement that said the people who talked a lot (about this tunnel etc. topic) are those who never use public transport. So, by that measure, do we need to prequalify or show our bus tickets or taxi receipts before participating or speaking at Forum?

Chief Minister please enlighten us, the poor disillusioned people of Penang?

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 1.06am
Reply to  Billie cudk

Billie.. the statement has a point you know..
I must confess that it has been decades since I last took a bus in Penang. So it would be utterly hypocritical of me to advocate passionately for Public Transport when I don’t even use it.

Instead, being a perpetual driver on our Penang Roads daily for like at least 3 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.. That qualifies me to comment on roads (the lack of it) or even ways to improve !! (No need to show toll receipts or fuel purchase slips)

cheers 🙂

tunglang
tunglang
8 Mar 2013 9.02am
Reply to  Boo Soon Yew

I still love 4WD (LC2 Land Cruiser), but now drive a smaller car to work & drive for leisures leaving damaging carbon footprints. But I have to rethink about going anywhere even in a small car when stuck in traffic jams (esp Farlim & Greenlane) daily. Give me a well scheduled public transport system, I will leave my small car at home & save a lot for more heavenly Penang street food to share my gastronomical choices in my digital Penang Street Food Museum. One has to change his stubborn mindset of conveniences when faced with a dire situation. Some… Read more »

billie cudk
billie cudk
11 Mar 2013 7.43pm
Reply to  Boo Soon Yew

SY ,
I find politicians whichever divide they originally came from and after several years having grooved themselves into office tend to speak to their voters lacking in respect and tainted with stench of arrogance.
Abit of humility and sensitivity goes a long long way. Convey the same message but keep arrogance and sarcasm under the lid.

tunglang
tunglang
11 Mar 2013 9.35pm
Reply to  Boo Soon Yew

Billie, you are absolutely right in your assessment of politicians.
To find a consistently good & caring one is as rare as bumping into a white tiger giving way to you in the Malaysian rainforest.
Cheers Kopi-O kau kau!.

Harun
Harun
7 Mar 2013 11.24am

The true problem is too many cars on the road because of the stupid NAP!
Every household has at least 2 cars!
Malaysians do not take public transportation for fear of losing face because only foreign workers take public buses.

SL Wong (@wong8898)
7 Mar 2013 1.56pm
Reply to  Anil Netto

Selfish ppl: Since I’m powerless to stop those car manufacturers keep producing & buyers of buying and most likely the highway will build in front of my house. Better protest first.

Non-selfish ppl: Since we need it eventually why not build it now. I don’t care it build on top of my house as long it can benefits the next generations.

SL Wong (@wong8898)
7 Mar 2013 4.09pm
Reply to  Anil Netto

For the eyes of selfish ppl only:

1. Why u need to buy a house now & not 20 years later?

2. Why u want to get marry now & not 20 years later?

3. Why u want to send your kids to school now & not 20 years later?

4. Why u want to read KTC’s *Bullshit* books now & not 20 years later?

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 1.01am
Reply to  Anil Netto

Harun.. you are right about locals not wanting to ride the bus.. though I beg to differ on the reason you proposed.

For me, it is plain and simple.. It has been decades since I last rode on a bus in Penang.. and all this is because of the long wait (irregular scheduling like what Anil pointed out) + the odd routes that never enter proper residential areas..

tunglang
tunglang
9 Mar 2013 3.50pm
Reply to  Anil Netto

Who do not want to save hard-earned money (from using an efficient public transport)? Can RapidPenang reduce its season pass for RM75.00 a month to RM50? Kia Su, save face is one fleeting thing but at the end of the day, it’s what amount of real cash you have in the bank account that can stretch your survival days that matters. Keeping up with your Joneses Chan / Joneses Mutu / Joneses Ali with a ‘tin-can’ roda showy-investment is a flaw of human nature (ego) not worth the covetous habit to inculcate. Cash is still king than the latest flashy… Read more »

Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 10.04am

The cost of this BRT system is calculated using the BRT infrastruction cost estimation calculator (in excel format) provided by Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Each costing are derided from real practices. Unlike Lim Guan Eng RM8billion mega project. No one know how he come to the conclusion that it cost RM8billion. All we knew is that after attending the meeting with China primer and signed an MOU, our incredible CM suddenly pop up with this RM8billion with a vow that he rather fail than without trying. After his (alleged) insider manipulation, he boldly told us that he saved… Read more »

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 12.50am
Reply to  Ong Eu Soon

WHEW !!!
Thanks Ong .. for your comprehensive presentation of your BRT Plan .. together with its specs which will turn many prospective project presentations into something worth noticing and giving more thought !!

So Anil.. another 54 hours for the readers here to place their thoughts !!
BEST WISHES Eu Soon.. on your BRT Launch at 12pm this Sunday !!

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.43am

The BRT also has 10 standard intermediate transfer stations to link up with existing public bus services to provide a complete feeder bus services.

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.39am

The BRT system also has a feeder bus system of 50 buses operated at 5km interval at peak hour.

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 12.57am
Reply to  Ong Eu Soon

50 buses on the road.. with 12,000 bicycles on the loose.. I pity the bus driver !! And also the car drivers trying to get to the BST stations 🙁

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.35am

Each BRT station has 2 public shared bicycle stations with 60 public shared bicycles for easy renting.

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.29am

This BRT system is complimented by a large public shared bicycle program of 400 stations with 12,000 units of bicycles to serve commuter’s need. It also put emphasis on improving pedestrian walking by allocating a budget of RM35,5million for pedestrian crosswalk, pedestrian bridge and improvements to pedestrian access ways (100km).

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 12.56am
Reply to  Ong Eu Soon

WAIT !! Ong !! There is a FLAW in your proposal !! Your model of 12,000 units of bicycles is admirable for the sake of preserving the environment and reducing carbon emission.. AND it is a UTOPIAN model workable in China that has such numbers of bicycles on the road !! BUT you forget that many Penangites stay at far-flung places.. or housing estates/condos/apartments which are FAR AWAY from the stations. So are they to drive their cars to any of the 400 stations, park their cars, then cycle ?? Or are they supposed to walk to the any of… Read more »

Ong Eu Soon
8 Mar 2013 1.45am
Reply to  Boo Soon Yew

Boo Soon Yew,
Paris has 16000 public shared bicycles with daily ridership 68,477, world no 2.
Hangzhou has 61,000-bicycle system, world no 1.
If this initiative is implemented, Penang will be world no 3.
You are welcome to attack attack attack. Million thanks in advance! I miss the smart alec who probably forget to take his medicine, never appear any more.

Boo Soon Yew
Boo Soon Yew
8 Mar 2013 5.42am
Reply to  Boo Soon Yew

peace.. Eu Soon.. 🙂
but I’ll surely look you up this Sunday !!
cheers 😀

king kong
king kong
13 Mar 2013 4.57pm
Reply to  Boo Soon Yew

The highway and tunnel is different from BRT. The BRT is ONLY FOR BUSES and in Malaysia, UMNO Government has a say. The Borneo Post has mentioned in Jan 2010 more than 3 years by Ong Keat Ting, KL is going to have 3 BRT to ease KL clogged problems and help the poor. Another fly kite by BN? Recently, in Kuching Sunway has won the tender to design and built BRT and Sarawak State Government will have buses on them since road transport is under the State unlike in Malaya is all under UMNO Federal Government. Ah Soon Ghor… Read more »

kopi o kau-kau
kopi o kau-kau
9 Mar 2013 1.38pm
Reply to  Ong Eu Soon

More tunglang less eu soon pls. sakit kepala baca hujah hujah ah soon !

BTW, tunglang’s favourite Sifu Tan’s Keng Kwee Road Chendol has gone “squeekyclean” overhaul at Prangin Mall ! Formerly one bowl RM2.30 now RM3.80 having moved to a stall nearby (furbished like Kim Garish). OMG last few surviving ori-maestos are forced to follow starrybuckih ultra-cosmopolitan pricing ??????

tunglang
tunglang
9 Mar 2013 10.12pm
Reply to  kopi o kau-kau

As I had said before, this overt slippery-cleanliness obsession & contagiousness has a downside for ordinary citizens & netizens who can only afford decently priced Ori-Maestro street hawker food + decently brewed Kopi-O kau kau in decent oldie kopitiams. Given a chance by fame-default for these Ori-Maestros to ‘upgrade’ like Adobe Creative Suite onto Creative Cloud, the chance of a more expensive makan-makan is not as surprising as a howling dog blinking its eyes on full moon. I have always suspected this inevitability as had happened in overtly-slippery New World Park with its many rounds of Bangla floor wipers making… Read more »

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.23am

This BRT system has a service route with a total length of 100km. It consists of 4 main transit corridors, i.e. Penang Outer Ring Transit Corridor (40km), Penang Central Transit Corridor (25km), Penang Mainland Transit Corridor(35km) and the existing BEST transit Corridor (20km). A total of 8 large intermediate transfer station for multiple feeder services are allocated to link up all the corridors to complete the loop for a total solution.

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.07am

If the government drop the RM780 million upgrading project for the three main roads linking Penang second bridge on the island. With the money saved we only need to come out with less than RM800million for this sustainable solution. This budget is something that the MPPP and MPSP can afford to pay especially when it is spread across 5 years term. Why wasting our money in the tunes of billions for white elephant projects with dubious economic viability, when we can have an affordable transit solution? This solution cost only a fiction of the RM6.8billion mega projects. No concession need… Read more »

Ong Eu Soon
Ong Eu Soon
7 Mar 2013 9.00am

This coming Sunday I will launch my Penang Citizen Alternative Transit Initiative at the same venue at 12pm. The cat government after spending some RM3million on the so called master plan, still unable to come out with any public transport solution. What Lim Guan Eng did is to come out with a mega road infrastructure project that move the vehicle not the people. In order to award the tender to his favored firm, BUCG, his administration has resort to post tender negotiation to restructure the participants of the open tender resulting a RM2 shelf company emerge as the winner when… Read more »