GEORGE TOWN, Nov 17 — Penang Opposition leader Muhammad Fauzi Yusof has warned that Penang is now on the brink of mobility crisis.

The Sungai Dua assemblyman from PAS said the state recorded an extremely high number of vehicles at 2.67 million as of October 2024.

“According to data from the Road Transport Department, there are 1.52 million motorcycles and 1.15 million private cars, equivalent to nearly two vehicles for every resident,” he said when debating the Supply Bill at the state legislative assembly today.

He said the number of vehicles continue to rise each year from 2.65 million in 2022 to 2.68 million in 2023 and continue to rise in 2024.

He said the state’s Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) has an ambitious goal of reaching a public transport modal share of 40 per cent compared to 60 per cent private vehicles by the year 2030.

“In reality, public transport usage in Penang remains very low, far from the targets outlined,” he said.

He noted that every day, commuters are trapped for hours in traffic and as more vehicles crowd the roads, congestion wil worsen and this will indirectly impact the state’s economy.

He said the Mutiara LRT Line has been approved and is underway but questioned if its implementation genuinely benefits the public and does not become a financial liability to the state.

“We do not want the LRT to become yet another white elephant,” he said.

He said the state government may be too focused on mega projects, while essential basic services such as buses, feeder routes, and traffic dispersal are being neglected.

“In reality, the planned LRT alignment with 20 stations covers only four parliamentary constituencies, Bayan Baru, Jelutong, Bukit Gelugor and Tanjong,” he said.

He said the LRT connects to the mainland with only one stop at Penang Sentral in Butterworth.

“Other constituencies — such as Balik Pulau, Bukit Bendera, Kepala Batas, Tasek Gelugor, Central Seberang Perai, South Seberang Perai and rural areas — are not included in this initial phase, even though the entire state population will bear the cost of the project,” he said.

He asked if the LRT truly represented the needs of the entire state or will only benefit certain areas in the near future.

Fauzi pointed out that the state government is also promoting major highways such as the Pan Island Link (PIL 1) and the Ayer Itam–Lim Chong Eu Expressway Bypass as congestion solutions.

“However, we must honestly acknowledge that global experience shows new highways often lead to induced demand, the more roads built, the more vehicles fill them, until congestion returns,” he said.

He asked if the highways provide a faster journey than the LRT and whether people will shift to taking public transportation.

“If the LRT fails to attract sufficient ridership, it will become a financial burden on the state,” he said.

He commended the introduction of the Rapid On Demand (ROD) service as an important component of the PTMP.

“We appreciate the government’s effort to provide this service, as it offers greater flexibility to the public,” he said.

He proposed that the government introduce a dedicated ROD route focused specifically on transporting people directly to government administrative centres and hospitals without long routes or multiple stops.

“Such a route would provide greater convenience for senior citizens, patients, civil servants, business owners and members of the public who need to visit government offices or hospitals without worrying about parking or traffic congestion,” he said.