00:01Penang cannot build its way out of traffic congestion, said transport consultant Wanagil
00:06Wanhasan, warning that new flyovers and underpasses may only shift the problem due to induced
00:11demand. Wanagil stressed that without demand management
00:14measures like public transport improvements, parking controls, or peak hour pricing, congestion
00:20will simply return. His comments followed Penang Transport
00:24Councillor Zairul Kirjohari's defense of projects like the LRT, flyovers, and underpasses,
00:30while dismissing bus lanes as unrealistic. Wanagil countered that cities like Bogota and
00:35Seoul have proven buses can be reliable and fast with proper lanes, signal priority and
00:40enforcement. Transport academic Farhan Sadula agreed, saying
00:44road projects only give temporary relief unless paired with integrated and sustainable planning.
00:50Earlier last week, Zairul said the Penang government was only interested in projects that improve
00:54movement, not prestige. He dismissed critics such as former economist
00:59Lim Mahui, who said the scaled-down LRT could become a white elephant.
01:04Chief Minister Chao Kanyahu had earlier warned that congestion threatens tourism, investment,
01:08and political support, while Wanagil urged visible short-term actions alongside long-term
01:13projects.
01:14Donish Guardia Reza, FMT.
