Penang Defends Mega Projects As Key To Tackling Traffic Woes

The Penang government has doubled down on its plan to push through major infrastructure projects, saying they are the only realistic way to address the state’s worsening traffic congestion.

Transport executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari said while some activists and transport consultants have called for cheaper options like more buses or dedicated lanes, the reality on the ground is far more complex.
“It’s easy to say let’s just add buses, but unless these buses are flying, they’ll still end up stuck in the same traffic

“If we introduce bus lanes without proper planning, we risk making the congestion even worse," he told FMT.

According to him, the issue is not about the state pouring money into the wrong priorities, but rather years of underdeveloped infrastructure and limited land space.  "Flyovers and underpasses are still needed to properly spread out vehicle flow," he added.

Zairil also took aim at critics warning that the light rail transit (LRT) project could turn into a “white elephant” if scaled down to fit tighter budgets. 

Former economist Lim Mah Hui had made the remark, saying it could end up as a costly system that fails to meet commuter needs.
But Zairil was dismissive. 

“Lim also said the Spice Convention Centre would be a white elephant and that Penang didn’t need a big venue

"But demand was so strong that even larger centres were later built. I wouldn’t take those predictions too seriously,” he stressed.

Concerns have also been raised about the state ignoring earlier transport studies, but Zairil pointed out that the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) is based on the Halcrow Plan of 2013, which he described as “high-level and conceptual”. 

The PTMP, he said, is a more detailed and actionable version that the state is now rolling out.
While transport consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan has argued that flyovers and underpasses merely shift congestion rather than solve it, Zairil countered that Penang’s approach is not one-dimensional.