http://anilnetto.com/civil-society/bloggers-launch-penangites-for-trams-campaign/#comment-2577

See at benefits of tram – http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/transport/public_transport/trams/cec_edinburgh_tram_benefits

http://www.worldofstock.com/search_pages/tram.php

So write to your Penang state government at http://www.penang.gov.my/index.php?ch=29

Look at poorly manage transport cities like Kuala Lumpur, LRT is not integrated, or is it?

billauchris – please study carefully population of Penang. MRT is only for large cities. If you implemented MRT on Penang island, you would be go bankcrupt.

What historical city like Georgetown needs is to implement (very much lower cost than monorail) tram network like Melbourne. Have you visited Melbourne? By the way, Melbourne cist is 10 times larger than Georgetown. Correct?

Tram is a tourist product as well as could replace RapidPenang goind around inner city of Georgetown. Why?

Tram could also be fast deployed on 3rd left lane of Penang Bridge when the extention completed by UMNO company UEM.

Monorail could have no way to use existing Penang bridge but tram track could be laid on present Penang Brdige.

SO, where is the wisdom of the leaders and Penangites? If you want fast public transport to be on island and pay low commuter ticket, go for tram!

KL LRT is messy. Look at Melbourne and Adelaide first.

Please look at world top 30 cities first: who are they? By identifying who are they, you would see more clearly what are they?

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

Penang has grown the last 60 years. Trams used to be one of the unique attractions of Penang; but it was introduced at a time long gone by when the traffic was not so congested. There were less motor-cycles, vehicles, people and bicycles dominating most, if not all the two-way narrow roads, alleys and lanes of old Georgetown, Pearl of the Orient.

At that time, Bayan Lepas and Prai and vicinities were not developed as an industrial sites. But now, commuters comprising mostly factory workers, road users and air passengers have increased substantially the last 30 years.

Penang used to be linked to the mainland by the two miserable snail-speed ferries. The volume of traffic to and from the mainland has also increased by leaps and bounds so much so that the Penang Bridge was built. But now it is found that that bridge can no longer cope with the highly increase road users – hence the second bridge is contemplated.

In the light of the above circusmtances, trams would not be suitable for Penang. They will cause more traffic jams unless they operate overheads.

Planners should look into the future population growth of Penang, the increased influx of tourists, increased traffic users and the industrial programme of Penang (which I include Butterworth as well).

Under the present conditions, the conception of a monorail is a joke and highly impractical. We need mass railway transit to bus the people from one point to the other rapidly and avoid loss of productive time due to traffic congestions in Penang. This invariably increases the energy consumption.

The present bridge was built to cater for four lanes on each side. One can see that horizontal beams jut out for this purpose. Because of shortage of funds then, the width of the bridge was reduced.

Can someone in the planning unit now to re-look at the feasiblity of linking Prai to Penang with MRT and have it extended to connect to the various vantage points and places of interest of Penang?

For heaven sake, do not follow the KL model in which many of the stations were built in not so populous areas and besides the rail tracks were not built for common usage by the four operators – Commuter train, PUTRA & STAR Lines and the M onorail. I can foresee they will run at a loss and eventually get bailed out or continue to get subsidy from the Government.

In view of the above, let us not go backward. We should march forward. I would like to see Penang of which I am proud to be differently developed. Let us make use of the air-space. In this way, the Government does not have to be embroiled in getting rid of the stuborn and obstinate squatters of Penang – which will cause undue project delays.

I remember you were organising the PBS cell in Penang and you manage to get Datuk Khor Ghak Kim (the Deputy Chief Minister of Penang)and Datuk Lkabir Singh (the Penang Council Secretary) into your group at that time.

I use to attend the initial meetings in Datuk Khor’s office in Leith Street.

You also contested on a PBS ticket in Penang. Do you still run the PBS Service Center in Datuk Keramat? Are still with PBS?

Nice to know you are still active and always very intelligent with your thoughts and ideas.

I have sent a message to your email and i hope you reply.

City of Sydney is still playing catch up to reintroduce Tram they abandoned sometime back, just like Penang.