Penang MCA proposes state government to replace LRT with BRT system

GEORGE TOWN, July 13 (Bernama) -- MCA has proposed to the Penang government to replace the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in the state with the Bus Rail Transit (BRT) system as it is cheaper.

Penang MCA secretary Yeoh Chin Kah said this was because the BRT system would take shorter period, of only a year, to build and more suitable for residents in the city centre.

“If the state government invests about RM4.4 billion for the BRT project, the government can build up to 426 kilometres (km) of BRT bus lanes, while for the LRT it can only build 40 km and only 14 kilometres for the multi-level MRT.

"The construction of the BRT system will also provide  wider coverage than the LRT. In fact, it can encourage walking and cycling activities in the city which is very suitable for Penang," he told a press conference here today.

He was commenting on a news report which quoted the State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari as saying that the Bayan Lepas LRT project had received approval from key technical agencies such as the Department of Environment and the Department of Town and Country Planning (PLAN Malaysia).

 Yeoh said BRT can also be built with LRT functions, such as having multi-storey car parks,  and can also equipped with a system to track the number of people waiting at each station to adjust the frequency of the bus service.

He said the  state government can also bear the cost of the project without depending on the federal government.

"Many cities in China have efficient transit systems using bus service such as Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, carrying 4.3 million passengers a day and this helps to solve the problem of urban congestion," he said.

He said minibuses could also be used to transport passengers from the  BRT station to their respective residential areas.

-- BERNAMA