Public transport activists want the Penang government to scrap its intention to revive the controversial Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR).

Instead, they want the DAP-led state government to spend the money on upgrading, diversifying and expanding the public transport system.

Aliran exco member Anil Netto and Bus Users Group (BUG) coordinator BK Ong want Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to ditch the PORR project.

They said Lim, by harping on the project, was defeating his state's own objective of forming the Penang Transport Council (PTC).

gerakan teh tarik forum 290808 anil netto PTC was set under the leadership of state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow in an effort to formulate a comprehensive policy to improve the public transport system in the state.

Anil ( right ) said PTC aims to shift the public's over-dependence on private transport to a more economically and ecologically sustainable transport system.

"PTC's motto is moving people not cars, but PORR is set to turn this motto upside down. PTC's most formidable challenge is its response to any attempt to revive the highly controversial PORR project by Lim himself," said Anil.

He said the state government was scoring an own goal and contradicting itself. "It's a clear flip-flop of the state's public transport policy," said Anil, who is also a prominent blogger.

Calling on the state government to implement a long-term public transportation master plan, Anil said it should integrate all modes of transport - buses, cars, trams, ferries, rail - into one ticketing system.

Such a ticketing system is widely implemented in many countries, especially in Europe and North America.

Spend money wisely

Anil said funds should be well spent to build and upgrade more bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways and disable-friendly paths.

He also called on the state government to introduce bicycles, smaller buses, trishaws sand trambuses as multiple feeder systems to main road arteries.

As and when the major public transport services improve, he said the government should initiate legal and educational mechanisms to reduce use of private cars.

Concurring with Anil's proposals, Ong said that the state government should explore ways and means to introduce, diversify and expand the ferry service and water taxis.

NONE He said the current George Town-Butterworth ferry route was not viable and wasteful of the vast water resources surrounding Penang island.

He said the ferry services should be multi-way, linking passengers from and to destinations all over the state.

He said even Sarawak had developed an efficient, reliable and affordable domestic water transport system.

"The state government should provide multi transport networks to cater to the demands and needs of the all, including women, children, senior citizens and disabled people," said Ong.

He said PORR would only transfer vehicles from one section of the island to another without decongesting the bottlenecks on the roads.

He said the 1999 independent Halcrow report on PORR revealed that the project was not feasible as it won't reduce traffic congestion in 10 years time, which would be 2009.

"Then why Lim is in a hurry to revive the project?" asked Ong.

In a press statement in 2002, Chow, the then opposition Tanjung parliamentarian, called on the federal government to relook into the Halcrow report and its view the PORR would not be able to resolve traffic congestion in George Town.

Project could be revived

A highly controversial project, PORR was opposed by civil society groups and public transport advocates when it was first initiated by the previous BN state government under the the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Many argued that the project, which aims to cut through the hilly terrains in the middle of the island, will cause massive destruction of homes, graves, places of worship, natural and human living environment.

Many PORR opponents were glad when former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi deferred the RM1.5 billion project during his government's mid-term review of 9MP in June last year.

The federal government's decision prompted Lim to demand cash reimbursement for the deferred projects. Recent speculations and press reports suggest that the project could be back on table soon.

NONE A private company Daya Aliran Inovasi Sdn Bhd (whose main shareholders are the suspended Bukit Bendera Umno chairperson Ahmad Ismail and Nordin Chin), with the blessings of the Economic Planning Unit, is said to have had submitted a proposal to undertake the highway project.

Under the proposal, the 18-kilometre elevated toll highway, cutting across Penang island from Tanjong Tokong to the Penang Bridge, will be built with RM150 million of federal funds and rest coming from its concessionaire.

The concessionaire is said to be seeking rights to reclaim 61ha in Gurney Drive and another 142ha in Middle Bank, near Jelutong

Lim has said that the Penang government was still awaiting feedback from the federal government on the project.

"We want to know the federal government's commitment in terms of dollars and cents," Lim has said.