The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has expressed disappointment at the sheer incompetency and negligence that caused traffic chaos at the Penang Bridge two days ago, calling it "a lack of foresight in implementing a contingency plan of an unprepared" Penang Bridge Sendirian Berhad (PBSB).

penang bridge Last Thursday, a 30-tonne hydraulic crane toppled at Km3.3 of the Penang Bridgea while lifting a demolished retaining wall, causing a massive traffic jam resulting in thousands of motorists being stranded in their vehicles for up to eight hours.

Roads leading to the bridge on both sides were choked with traffic and there was a 5km-long congestion along the Jelutong Expressway and the Bayan Lepas coastal highway.

Many who decided to take the ferry, were instead caught in another traffic jam lasting several hours at the ferry terminals, despite seven ferries being mobilised to transport motorists from Butterworth.

"This incident clearly indicates a lack of foresight in implementing a contingency plan on the part of an unprepared Penang Bridge Sendirian Berhad (PBSB).

"Sadly, traffic jams, especially those caused by accidents are nothing new to Penang Bridge users as they are the ones who pay tolls and get stranded for hours at a time whenever there's an accident," said CAP president SM Mohamed Idris in a statement today.

According to Mohamed, the authorities had ample time to alert the public of the accident, which occurred at 3am on Thursday and close the affected lane to avoid traffic build-up.

"An early warning would have allowed motorists to plan their journeys in advance to avoid getting caught in the ensuing congestion. Unfortunately, no such warning was given," he said.

UEM Construction under fire

Mohamed also slammed UEM Construction (UEMC) when one of the two cranes sent to assist the toppled crane broke down before it reached the site of the accident.

sm mohamed idris "It is incomprehensible that UEMC with almost two decades of experience in the industry and a long list of accomplishments could have allowed such an untoward, but essentially avoidable, incident to occur. One wonders what level of standards UEMC adheres to," he said.

Apart from PBSB and UEMC, Mohamed was disappointed that variable message signboards around Penang did not inform the public of the traffic situation at the bridge.

"This would have been a substantial help to motorists in planning their journeys to avoid the congestion in and around the bridge," he said.

"PBSB needs to come to its senses and realise that apart from collecting bridge tolls, it has a responsibility to ensure a hassle-free public service to its clients," he said.

"It is time UEM Builders, being the parent company for both UEMC and PBSB, takes responsibility for its subsidiary's dismal performance and ensures that they get their act together and take a proactive stance in preparing for effective and efficient crisis management for the sake of its clientele and for its own credibility," he concluded.