Slow shift to mass transit

Chock-a-block: Penang’s vehicular saturation often results in public buses being trapped in traffic snarls. — KT GOH/The Star

Traffic congestion is inevitable these days in Penang as driving around is no longer what it used to be.

Traffic jams are getting worse, especially during the long weekends and festive holidays, when vehicles from other states head into the already vehicle-saturated island.

All it takes is an accident, a vehicle breaking down, or the most common factor – people double parking – for traffic congestion to build up.

Retail assistant Afifah Mohd Nasir, 26, takes a public bus daily to her workplace in Tanjung Tokong from her home in Kampung Makam, Datuk Keramat.

“I prefer using public transport as it is safe and convenient.

“The bus service is good and there is even free WiFi. But sometimes, it can be behind schedule by 10 to 15 minutes.

“But I cannot blame the bus service provider as there are just too many cars on the roads!

“Perhaps the authorities should convince private car owners to use public transport,” she said.

Form Four student Anis Hazwani Abd Shukor, 16, feels that the bus service in Penang can be improved to cater to passenger needs.

“I go to school by bus daily. So far, the services have been good and reliable,” she said, adding that bus routes and schedules especially during rush hour could be improved.

Delivery food rider C.G. Wong, 41, said it was a “chicken-and-egg” situation as long as there were no compelling reasons for motorists to switch to public transport.

“Private car owners won’t be convinced to use the existing public transport system, unless there is something above the streets such as the light rail transit,” he said.

“Traffic can be really bad at times that even public buses get caught in jams.”

More buses

Rapid Penang, the main public transport operator in Penang, will increase its number of buses from 194 to 224 this year to improve service regularity.

A Rapid Penang spokesperson said buses would be added on selected routes with a high “load factor” during peak hours to improve frequency.

The transport company also carried out proof-of-concept (POC) studies, to evaluate the efficiency of using smaller vehicles like vans, to solve first- and last-mile connectivity and in navigating narrow, congested roads in commercial zones and housing areas.

Rail-based system

Universiti Sains Malaysia Transportation Engineering professor Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Sadullah said the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) was a comprehensive plan by professionals who had studied all the targets, requirements and available options at the time of the study.

However, he said that since the project was mooted almost 10 years ago, it might need to be updated to confirm if the assumptions and situations used in the planning and modelling back then were still valid for current needs.

“Penang urgently needs an effective public transport system that will change mobility behaviour towards more public transport usage.

“This will require an ability to persuade present private vehicle users (including motorcyclists) and new commuters to use public transport and sustain a satisfactory level of service for public transport systems to retain existing users,” he said.

Prof Ahmad Farhan said rail-based systems could also be adopted but they were costly.

“One of the advantages is segregation from roads, which will allow the streets’ capacity to be maintained and the congestion level, managed.

“Another advantage is that the capacity of rail-based systems will be able to cater to more commuters.

“These are the reasons why a rail-based system is preferred for cities like Penang,” he said.

First-and-last-mile travel

USM’s Transport Engineering Assoc Prof Dr Nur Sabahiah Abdul Sukor said Penang was among the states with highest traffic rates in the country.

She said an integrated network connecting diverse means of public transport such as buses, commuter trains and ferries for seamless travel was needed in Penang.

“The integrated network must include amenities for active transportation such as walking and cycling so that people in mixed-use developments can use public transport,” she said.

The senior lecturer said the problem was that the facilities for active mobility were still not ideal in Penang.

She said first- and last-mile issues in public transportation was causing people to be unhappy, resulting in them eventually opting for cars and motorcycles.

She said buses, too, must improve the frequency and reliability of services, including regular review and adjustment of services based on changing travel patterns and demand.

“In several areas of Penang mainland, public transport is still unreliable,” she said.

“For instance, Nibong Tebal residents wanting to use public transport have difficulty accessing the commuter train or bus hub and it is difficult to get e-hailing services.

“So, the most convenient way to reach the island is by car but one must be mentally prepared to be stuck in traffic, or to wait hours for the bus, which is more frustrating.

“Even if Penang was to build a light rail transit system, the first-and-last-mile difficulties concerning public transport must be rectified first.

“Identify the hub-and-spoke model by concentrating on high-frequency services at transportation hubs and providing feeder services to surrounding areas,” said Nur Sabahiah.

Tram as solution

MDS Consultancy Group managing director Dr Rosli Azad Khan said many people were now travelling from the mainland to their workplace on the island, especially in the Bayan Lepas free trade zone where employment opportunities abound.

He said the main missing link required for mass transit was between the island and mainland, which was primarily served by the Penang Bridge.

He noted that roads and bridges had limited capacities and the daily convergence of large traffic volume on the available road space had led to reduced traffic speed, congestion, accidents and delays.

Although some state planners see congestion as a problem, they do not look beyond its causes, he added.

MDS Consultancy provides traffic, transport and logistics advisories to private and government clients.

Rosli said the autonomous road tram (ART) was a cheaper solution to replace the role of private cars or buses.

“ART is an articulated-bus type of system running on existing roads.

“It provides a high-capacity road-based system, similar to a tram but without using fixed rails that require the massive construction of columns and beams for dedicated routes.

“It can be designed to carry 200 to 300 passengers in each direction.

“It also provides high-frequency service, such as having a departure every five minutes,” he said.

Rosli said that as a heritage city, ideal modes of transportation for Penang would be electric vehicles (EV) and pedal-powered transport.

“EVs will not emit smoke and pollutants that can damage heritage buildings in the long term,” he said.

“Hoi An in Vietnam is a good example of a heritage city that doesn’t allow internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

“Only EVs, pedal-powered vehicles and pedestrians are allowed.

“All boats for its canals are also electric and pedal-led,” he added.