Is Penang Spending Billions To Make Traffic Worse

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 It’s time to shift focus from vehicle movement to people movement.
Two recent headlines caught my eye: Penang may scrap undersea tunnel plan, and Penang seeks RM1.56 billion for PIL 1 highway.
Both point to a worrying trend: Penang’s continued reliance on car-centric infrastructure as the default solution to traffic congestion.
It’s a tired formula — one that not only fails to solve the problem but worsens it over time. KL did that and look at what it has become.
Let’s be clear: the undersea tunnel, had it proceeded, would have funnelled even more cars from the mainland onto the island.
That’s not solving congestion — it’s importing more of it.
As for the proposed PIL 1 highway, the RM1.56 billion price tag for next year’s budget, is not only excessive, but the project itself is absurd in principle.
Designed solely to cater to private vehicles, it excludes the majority of Penangites who rely on public transport or more affordable mobility options.
Flawed logic of more roads
The belief that building more roads will ease traffic has long been debunked. In reality, more roads generate more traffic — a transport phenomenon known as induced demand.
Over time, congestion doesn’t improve; it compounds.
Penang is already experiencing this, and the trajectory will only worsen if we continue to pour more public funds into concrete instead of common sense.
Learn from Singapore
It’s time to shift our focus from vehicle movement to people movement.
And in that, Penang can take valuable lessons from Singapore — a city-state that has successfully curbed congestion and built one of the most efficient transport systems in the world.
One of Singapore’s key policies is the certificate of entitlement, which regulates car ownership through a limited permit system.
Penang could adopt a similar approach to control the growth of private vehicles. We don’t need more roads — we need fewer cars.
In tandem with ownership controls, Penang must seriously invest in public transport and adopt a more proactive transport pricing mechanism.
Today, we’re contemplating spending RM13 billion of the federal public funds, on a single LRT line, serving a small and short corridor by the coast with limited catchment areas.
For that same amount, the state could roll out an island-wide Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system — complete with dedicated lanes, thousands of new electric buses, and proper passenger facilities.
This would serve more people, more efficiently, at a much faster pace and a significantly lower operating cost.
Likewise, the proposed RM8.88 billion total cost for PIL 1, for a mere 19 km highway could instead be redirected to strengthen the Seberang Perai – Penang island corridor.
This is where traffic bottlenecks are most severe, and where the highest number of commuters would benefit from improved dedicated lane bus rapid transit (BRT) and ferry services.
Honest pricing, bold policy
Why do we still charge just RM7 per car on the first Penang Bridge when Singapore imposes a daily toll of S$14 on Malaysian vehicles entering its territory?
That pricing isn’t punitive — it’s strategic.
It discourages unnecessary car trips, reduces congestion, and helps fund public transport infrastructure and services.
Penang must stop subsidising congestion and start managing it smartly.
A smarter, fairer way forward
Penang stands at a crossroads—both literally and figuratively.
We can either stay trapped in the loop of highway expansion and car dependency, or we can break free by prioritising public transport, limiting private vehicle growth, and planning our cities for people, not cars.
This isn’t about copying Singapore for the sake of imitation. It’s about applying what works, with local adaptations and political will.
The stakes are high: our quality of life, our environment, and our economic vitality all depend on how we move people — not how we move vehicles.
It’s time for Penang to act boldly, rethink its transport future, and build a system that serves everyone — not just those who drive. - FMT
The author can be reached at: [email protected]
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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