Butterworth Folk Push For Cross Channel Lrt Link To Start First

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Butterworth residents say an LRT link between Penang island and Butterworth will alleviate severe traffic congestion on the Penang Bridge.
GEORGE TOWN: Butterworth residents are urging the federal and Penang governments to prioritise a proposed cross-channel LRT rail link over one running solely on the island.
Resident and activist Rahmad Isahak said the Butterworth line would benefit both the island and the mainland, especially by alleviating severe traffic congestion on the Penang Bridge.
“Most residents want a station in Butterworth first. With the federal government fully funding the project, why not start from Butterworth and work towards the island?
“Why give priority to Penang’s 20-odd stations given the massive traffic congestion we’re facing on the Penang Bridge? The prime minister himself wanted the cross-channel link, which is more rational and acceptable,” he told FMT.
Rahmad also raised concerns about the potential impact a change in government may have on the project.
“If the island line is completed and the Butterworth line scrapped, Butterworth residents would lose out,” he added.
The proposed Penang LRT system, dubbed the Mutiara line, is set to be built in two phases, with the first running 29km north-to-south and housing 21 stations.
The second phase will see a link from the proposed Macallum station on the island to Penang Sentral in Butterworth via an over-the-sea rail bridge.
Construction of the island line is scheduled to commence this year and is targeted for completion in 2030. There is no word yet on when work on the cross-channel link will begin.
Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow recently said both island and cross-channel lines should be built and completed simultaneously.
Butterworth community leaders agreed, saying there was a need for balanced development between the island and mainland.
Jalan Heng Choon Thian Rukun Tetangga chairman Robert Bee said development in Butterworth has long been neglected and that an LRT station had the potential to transform the city.
Sungai Puyu village council chairman Yeow Chee Sing said an LRT station in Butterworth will reduce traffic on the bridge and, if linked to KTM’s ETS train service, will allow for seamless travel.
“The Penang bridge is the main source of traffic problems in the state,” he said.
Bee also called for the LRT line on the mainland to be extended beyond Penang Sentral, which is located near the ferry and bus terminals and adjacent to the Butterworth KTM station.
“The line should extend to Raja Uda rather than stop at Penang Sentral. This can rebalance the economy between the island and mainland,” he said.
Atikah, a factory worker in Bayan Lepas, suggested that the line be extended even further. She said a direct LRT link from Bukit Mertajam to the island would be life-changing for folk like her.
“I take the Rapid Penang bus to work, but traffic on the Penang bridge is so unpredictable. School holidays are the worst. If there is an LRT line, I can park my motorbike at the LRT station and hop on a bus once on the island,” said the Penanti native. - FMT

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