Fed up with the failure by authorities in Penang to ensure an efficient public transport system on this bustling island, civil society groups are planning to take recourse to legal action.

Citizens have been asking the authorities for better public transport for years, says Nizam Mahshar, coordinator for the Citizens for Public Transport, a network of 24 civil society groups.

And now, as a last resort, the CPT is planning to file suit against the federal Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) in the hope of encouraging it to improve public transport on Penang island.