GEORGE TOWN: Building more highways in Penang will not alleviate traffic congestion in the state, but instead, worsen the situation.
This is the view of Roger Teoh, a transport engineering expert whose analysis was highlighted by Penang Island City Council councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui today.
Lim said the state government has to decide on either building more highways or implementing a good public transport system under its proposed RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
He cited Teoh's research works, which analyse an extensive database of key transport statistics from 100 cities around the world, as a case in point.
"Teoh has concluded that supplying more highways simply creates more demand for their use.
"Any initial improvement in traffic congestion will eventually disappear – so building more roads does not solve traffic congestion, but merely put off confronting a difficult issue.
"Penangites are forever doomed to repeat the same expensive mistakes. Teoh's data analysis on 100 cities shows a very strong positive correlation between car use increase and highway construction," he said in a statement today.
Lim said PTMP has contradicted the state government's transport policy of moving people, not cars.
He said Teoh contends that the only way to reduce car dependence is to build and improve on an urban rail system, as cities with urban rail systems comprising trams and light railway transits enjoy lower numbers of cars on the roads.
"Penang is at an important crossroad. Which road will it take?
"Will the state ignore expert analysis and make policies based on personal whims and populism by over-investing in highways to please car users? Or will it show far-sighted and courageous leadership by building and improving public transport to educate and lead the public along this new road of sustainable public transport?
"Investing more and more on highways undermines a good public transport system," Lim said.