19 November 2011 | last updated at 12:33am

More roads, more vehicles

By Audrey Dermawan | 0 comments

THE Penang government's announcement to undertake RM8 billion worth of infrastructure projects to resolve the island's severe traffic congestion problem has stirred much debate among residents living on the island.

All of a sudden, everyone is talking about the proposed tunnel to link Gurney Drive and Butterworth and the three bypass highways, which will be financed by land swap deals the state government intends to enter into with developers.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has described the "competitive land swap" as "smart economics" but critics have expressed serious reservations about the projects.

The question being asked now is whether building more roads is the best solution to the state's ever increasing traffic problem.

Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Civil Engineering lecturer Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah does not think so.

His view is also widely shared by many others.

Farhan, who is the former Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) director-general, is an expert in transport matters. He said new infrastructure like more roads would reach capacity levels in no time and the state would be back to square one in terms of congestion.

"More roads will only encourage more people to drive and this translates into more cars and more motorcycles on the roads," he said.

A good example of this is Penang Bridge. Records show that in 2005, there were over 1.5 million motor vehicles in Penang roads and a population of over 1.4 million people.

In 2009, there were about 1.75 million motor vehicles on the road and a population of over 1.57 million people.

Although the latest official figure is unavailable, it is safe to assume that the disparity between the two figures is expected to widen, especially with 300 vehicles registered daily last year, according to the state Road Transport Department records.

As it is, driving around Penang is a nightmare during the weekends, public holidays and school holidays, when there is an influx of vehicles coming into the island. And with more roads and more vehicles, one dreads to imagine the congestion in the future.

As Farhan rightly puts it, building more roads may not necessarily address the state's traffic problem.

What Penang needs is a sustainable solution to the problem.

Public transport has been shown to be a more sustainable option as it has more room for demand expansion.

Not only is it more cost effective at moving more people at a more efficient rate, it is also friendlier to the environment.

The successful introduction of Rapid Penang buses is a good example but public transport usage requires a culture change.

Alternatively, it is wiser for Penang to concentrate on a rail based system and to re-enforce it with an improved public transport system.

It is important for the state authorities to take heed of the current situation as basis in planning for a sustainable transport system for the future.

It is also important that the views of the people be first sought before major projects are planned for  them. -- audreymd@nst. com.my


Read more: More roads, more vehicles - Northern - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/northern/more-roads-more-vehicles-1.7897#ixzz1eAL72sWl