CJMY
The Penang government is taking proactive steps to address severe traffic congestion across the state, particularly from Butterworth and Seberang Jaya towards the island destinations of Bayan Lepas and George Town.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari announced several short-term measures, including a significant emphasis on public transportation.
Enhancing public transportation
Zairil in reply to an oral question from K. Kumaran (DAP-Bagan Dalam) spoke about the efforts to overcome traffic congestion in Penang at the State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
Currently, Rapid Penang operates 237 buses in the state, a number set to increase in stages to provide a more efficient and quality service.
The state government has fully funded the My50 Mutiara pass, offering free unlimited travel for daily commuters.
Additionally, a free Central Area Transit (CAT) service has been provided in the George Town city centre area to create an efficient transport system and encourage the continuous use of public transport.
Free bus services and reducing congestion
Apart from that, the free Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT) Bridge bus service has been introduced for the Bayan Baru to Seberang Jaya, Bukit Mertajam-Komtar routes.
Additionally, the provision of the Bridge Express Shuttle Transit (BEST) bus service for those working in Komtar has proven very useful.
Both these measures have significantly helped to overcome the issue of traffic congestion from Butterworth and Seberang Jaya towards the island.
The state government has also implemented various actions to reduce traffic jams, especially along the Juru-Sungai Dua North-South Expressway.
The state government plans to increase the number of one-way lanes from three to four to increase highway capacity.
Other methods include increasing enforcement action and collaborating with the police to control traffic at the Penang Bridge and congestion-prone road junctions, especially during peak hours.
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Jimmy Tan
