GEORGE TOWN, Jan 8 — MRT Corp has proposed part of the Sungai Nibong Festival Site here for use to build a depot for the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said MRT Corp has proposed to construct a secondary depot for the LRT project at the festival site.

"It is not the main depot but a secondary depot. The main depot will be built on Silicon Island. The depot is for maintenance and cleaning works after the end of service hours,” he added.

He told reporters this after the opening of the Penang Festival 2024/2025 at the Sungai Nibong Festival Site here, last night, by the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.

Earlier in his speech, Chow said the 58th Penang Festival is likely to be the last edition organised at the Sungai Nibong Festival Site before the event is held at another location as part of the site would be acquired for the Mutiara Line LRT project.

However, he said, talks on the proposal have not yet started.

"The site is needed for one station, which is the proposed construction of a secondary depot mixed with Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which means that public transport becomes part of this development because apart from the LRT station and the secondary depot, we have a bus terminal and a taxi terminal,” he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the location of the next festival, Chow said the state government has yet to identify the new location. — Bernama