Come up with concrete proposals instead of opposing transport master plan, Penang Forum told
Local government and traffic management committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said when Penang Forum members were invited to be part of the Penang Transport Council, they were expected to come up with concrete proposals that the state could adopt if it’s possible and good.
“Even before finishing their work, they have already launched the objection campaign against the PTMP,” he said in a press conference after yet another media briefing to respond to a statement by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is an umbrella body for local NGOs.
He said when they were appointed to PTC, all documents on PTMP, even classified ones were made available to them.
“Before they even finish the terms of reference to come out with the costs and financial alternative from what we proposed, they already have a preconceived decision that tram is better, that is the basis of their whole argument, and they organised a campaign to object against the PTMP,” he said.
He stressed that the state had never taken an adversary stance against Penang Forum.
“We want them to be our partners, to buy in and embrace the transport plan,” he said.
Chow also pointed out the Halcrow report that Penang Forum had referred to repeatedly clearly stated that the costs mentioned in the report were costs estimates exclusive of land acquisition costs.
“Halcrow said the figures are not to be taken as the real costs, it’s just an estimate, there are many factors not taken into consideration, for instance, it’s just a conceptual master plan, there’s no further feasibility studies, there’s no engineering studies, no heritage impact assessment, there’s no DEIA being done to capture some of the factors to be considered or avoided,” he said.
He accused Penang Forum of choosing to ignore the definite qualifying statement in the Halcrow report which is just a conceptual plan with estimates and no detailed study.
“The qualifying statement by Halcrow points out that there is no detailed study because it’s not under their scope of work, it’s just to produce a conceptual master plan,” he said.
Penang Forum has been insistent that the PTMP costs has escalated and that the state should have trams instead of LRT, claiming the former transport mode is cheaper than the latter if trams were to share the roads with other vehicles.
The group has continuously objected to the proposed PTMP and even proposed their own version that included tramlines instead of LRTs and road expansions.
Chow said if trams were to share roads with existing traffic, the resulting effect is tram mixing with existing traffic.
“I think I, Chow Kon Yeow, and Lim Guan Eng will not have our names identified with a system that, in future, whenever there is an accident, involving a car and a tram, it is this Chow Kon Yeow and Lim Guan Eng that built this system.”
“I don’t want to be associated with such matter,” he said, adding that this is also one of the main considerations that elevated LRTs are chosen.
“I think elevated LRT was chosen for the fact that yes, it is slightly or more expensive than the tram system but it avoids all these issues associated with trams which is shared with existing traffic,” he said.
Lim, who had called the press conference where another media briefing on PTMP was held by SRS Consortium, stressed that in the long run, LRT is still cheaper than trams.
“If we look at associated costs involved, it’s still cheaper if compared to a tram, if we look at relocation, utilities, acquisition costs, it’s not only costs of paying money but also social problems associated with dislocations, if we want to build trams, we have to take down rows and rows of shophouses and that, we cannot do, not in Penang,” he said.
Last month, Penang Forum claimed the state could have implemented a “better, cheaper and faster” transport plan.
They claimed the state’s PTMP was too expensive and poorly integrated before proposing their alternative plan consisting mostly of trams and BRTs (bus rapid transit).
They contended that there was no need to build more highways but instead to introduce an integrated tramline system complemented by the BRTs to reduce cars on the roads.
from Malay Mail Online | All http://ift.tt/2aNjesm
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