Association renews call to scrap North Coastal Paired Road project

GEORGE TOWN: Tanjong Bungah Residents’ Association ( TBRA) yesterday urged the Penang DAP-led state government to scrap the proposed construction of the North Coastal Paired Road ( NCPR) from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang.

Its chairperson Meenakshi Raman said the call was made after TBRA studied the Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) for the paired road.

She said the EIA ought to have done a proper cost-benefit analysis to justify the need for the road, but it had neglected to do so.

“Options such as improving public transport and alternative modes of transport as well as upgrading existing roads should have been properly considered as part of the ‘ no- build’ option instead of just claiming that its not an option,” she told a press conference here yesterday.

The proposed 12km Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang pairedroad, a 4.6km bypass between Air Itam and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and a 4.2km highway between Gurney Drive and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway are part of the Penang Transport Master Plan ( PTMP).

The RM46 billion PTMP project to reduce traffic congestion, includes Light Rail Transit, Mass Rapid Transit and several highways.

However, Meenakshi claimed that the proposed NCPR will affect thousands of residents living along Tanjung Bungah and it is not expected to address the traffic congestion in Penang.

She also claimed that the perception survey done by the EIA consultants was seriously flawed as only 322 persons were involved in the survey in relation to the NCPR.

“The figure is misleading due to the small sample size as well as the lack of consultation of people who will be most affected by the road alignment,” she said.

She said over 400 signatures were collected among the residents living in the vicinity of NCPR who have objected to the road and the petition has been submitted to the Department Of Environment ( DOE) on July 31 which was also forwarded to the Penang Chief Minister’s office last month.

It was reported in May this year that the three highway projects by Zenith Consortium Sdn Bhd were still waiting for approval from the DOE.