FOR years, navigating certain parts of Penang island during Chinese New Year has been a dreaded experience, with traffic often described as a nightmare.
However, something surprising unfolded this year.
During the first two days of the Lunar New Year, traffic was far less overwhelming than expected.
Certainly, not as chaotic as in previous years.
The only congestion appeared to be centred around George Town, where large crowds gathered in search of food and to explore the city’s rich heritage and sights.
It looked like the traditional balik kampung rush to Penang had taken an unexpected turn; more people seemed to have balik kampung out of Penang, returning to their hometowns to celebrate.
Some must have also decided to escape the hustle and bustle by travelling elsewhere for a holiday.
So for Penangites who remained in the state during the first few days of Chinese New Year, driving around was marvellous.
It seemed very much like Kuala Lumpur, which empties out during every major festivity as tens of thousands leave the capital.
The Pearl of the Orient has increasingly become a bustling employment hub, drawing in skilled professionals from all corners of Malaysia.
They return to their hometowns during public holidays and festive seasons to reunite with families, leaving the island much quieter than in years past.
According to InvestPenang, the state’s principal agency for the promotion of investment, for many years, around 20% to 30% of the talent working in Penang came from other states.
This insight was shared by its chief executive officer Datuk Loo Lee Lian, during an interview in 2022.
A close friend of mine can certainly vouch for this.
Two of her colleagues commute daily from Taiping in Perak (240km away) and Sungai Petani in Kedah (140km) to Penang island for work.
This is similar to the thousands of workers living in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, and driving or taking buses or trains to the Klang Valley every day.
This brings me to critics of the Penang Mutiara Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line, who forecast that the projected ridership numbers, ranging from five million to a staggering 42 million per year, are unrealistic.
They point out that Penang’s population currently stands at 1.74 million, questioning how the system can meet such high numbers.
However, to me, the critics may have overlooked a crucial factor – the substantial number of out-of-town workers currently commuting to Penang.
If every resident of Penang were to use the LRT three times a year, along with out-of-towners making the trip at least once annually, the total ridership would easily surpass the minimum projected figure of five million.
In other words, the critics fail to account for the significant commuter base that Penang attracts from neighbouring states, which could more than compensate for the gap between the population size and projected demand.
This underscores the importance of considering the full spectrum of daily commuters, including out-of-towners, when assessing the true potential and viability of the LRT system, which will go all the way from Silicon Island to Penang Sentral on the mainland.
Meanwhile, traffic was quite heavy during the Miaohui (Temple Festival) and Jade Emperor’s birthday celebrations.
With non-Penangites living and working here back from Chinese New Year trips, the light traffic we enjoyed is gone and the nightmarish jams are back.
To me, an effective and efficient public transport system is long overdue.
The need for better public transportation has never been more apparent, especially with the growing influx of both locals and visitors during major festivals.
With Penang receiving much-needed support from the Federal Government, the developments in infrastructure and transportation are steps in the right direction.
Surely, these will help ease the island’s traffic woes.
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