The Transport Ministry has granted approval for the proposed Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transit scheme in Penang. However, according to Anthony Loke Siew Fook, the approval came with 30 conditions which needed to be fulfilled before the project can proceed.
The project is subjected to conditions under Section 83 and 84 of the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) 2010 (Act 715), where the applicant must deposit to the APAD office for public exhibition any documents of the project for a three-month period.
The three-month period begins from the time a notice is put up in local newspapers, announcing the documents will be put up in public places, including government offices.
Loke said after getting the feedback from the people, another final approval application for the railway scheme has to be submitted to the ministry for final approval.
Elaborating on the 30 conditions, Loke said among the approvals needed were;
- Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) for the railway scheme,
- DEIA approval for the Penang South Reclamation
- Social Impact Assessment Report
- Heritage Impact Assessment Report
- Traffic Impact Assessment Report and others.
The rail line with an estimated cost of RM8 billion will cover 29.9 kilometres and 27 stations, running from Komtar to the Penang International Airport and to the three future reclaimed islands in the south of Penang.
A state-initiated project, the Penang Transport Master Plan to solve the state’s traffic woes, is expected to cost an estimated RM46 billion, featuring an undersea tunnel linking the island to the mainland, highways, LRT and monorail, and extensive bus connectivity on both the island and mainland.
Pulau Pinang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in a separate statement, the State Government will wait for a formal letter from the Transport Ministry before any further action is taken
Chow said the State Government is committed in meeting all the conditions set by the Ministry in order to execute the project
SOURCE: The Star, The News Strait Times, The Edge Markets
