Picture by Goh PS- originally posted to Flickr, from Wikimedia
PENANG SKY CAB
The proposed alignment for the Penang Skycab is 4.8 km long and connects the Sky Cab Station in Butterworth, Seberang Perai with Skycab Station( Bayan Lepas LRT) in Jelutong, Penang. The feasibility study for this project is expected to be completed by the first half of 2016
PROJECT PARTNERS & CONTRACTORS
SRS Consortium, a triumvirate joint venture between Gamuda Berhad( 60 %), Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd( 20 %) and Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd( 20 %) was appointed the Project Delivery Partner( PDP) for the PTMP in August 2015. SRS Consortium’ s proposal comprises a staged delivery starting with the Bayan Lepas LRT line, followed by subsequent rail and BRT lines in Penang Island and Seberang Perai.
Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd is a company jointly formed by three corporate entities, Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, Beijing Urban Construction Group and Juteras Sdn Bhd. The consortium will undertake the Undersea Tunnel and three major roads. Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad, a listed construction and property development company, will undertake the Sky Cab project.
COMMENTS AND CRITICISMS
As in any major infrastructure plan, the PTMP has attracted a fair share of comments and criticisms. The Penang Forum, a coalition of publicinterest civil society groups, for instance, notes that the lion’ s share of the budget( 70 %) is to build more roads for cars, instead of building public transport. They are of the view that building more roads simply creates more demand for usage of cars. Thus, it runs contrary to the“ moving people, not cars” motto expounded. They also argue that the financial model begs many questions. Reclamation is a two-edge sword as it brings state revenue but also irreversible environmental and social costs. They call for a rethink of the financial model which allows the use of highways free of charge, as this is unsustainable.
According to the PTMP website, the State Government is open to engagement with stakeholders and affected residents. Penang State Executive Councillor in charge of Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation, Chow Kon Yeow said that detailed environmental impact assessment( DEIA), heritage impact assessment( HIA) and fisheries impact assessment( FIA) studies are being carried out in focus group discussions and case interviews with stakeholders and affected fishing villages.
Barring any obstacles, the construction of key infrastructure projects under the PTMP, the Bayan Lepas LRT and Pan Island Link 1 are targeted to start as early as 2017. To what extent the ambitious Master Plan will materialise has yet to be seen. Nevertheless, expansion of transport infrastructure is a positive move to spur economic development. ~ Inforeach
REFERENCE
www. pgmasterplan. penang. gov. my eps. mbpj. gov. my / urbantransport / paper2. pdf
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