MARCH 4 — As a twice-yearly visitor to Penang, I nevertheless read with concern the report that the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has implemented a 50 per cent increase in parking fees, effective this month.
Ostensibly it’s a strategy to reduce traffic congestion in high-demand areas (like Lebuh Chulia, Lebuh Pasar, etc).
Mayor A. Rajendran says he hopes this tactic will discourage prolonged parking, promote turnover, and complement plans for time limits in busy zones.
Whilst I can sympathise with the intentions, I (like many Malaysians and, no doubt, Penangites) have some concerns.
The 50 per cent hike — raising rates from RM0.40 to RM0.60 for 30 minutes, RM0.80 to RM1.20 per hour, and RM6 to RM9 per day — is tremendous and a hard pill to swallow.
Nobody, Penangites included, would argue against the mayor's intentions. What’s almost impossible to accept is the one-jump increase by 50 per cent.
To illustrate, a bowl of kuey teow soup in Penang costs RM8 a bowl. Let's increase it to RM12 a bowl to discourage congestions in restaurants? Or let's double the electricity tariffs by 50 per cent to discourage electricity usage? Or let's increase petrol prices by 50 per cent to encourage more usage of public transports?
‘Nuff said.
Point is, the measure may only punish regular users rather than target the root causes of congestion, such as over-reliance on private vehicles or inadequate public transport.
Or, put another way, wealthier drivers may simply absorb the cost without changing their behavior, while others, unable to afford it, might resort to illegal parking (hardly uncommon!) or circling for free spots — potentially worsening traffic flow.
While the mayor emphasises this isn’t profit-driven, the last fee revision was in the 1990s, implying a reactive rather than proactive approach.
Congestion has grown with Penang’s population and tourism, yet this measure doesn’t address future scalability or integrate with larger infrastructure plans like the forthcoming Mutiara Line LRT (which won’t ease bridge traffic anyway!).
Creatively resolving traffic congestion?
What follows hopefully applies to KL/PJ as well, especially when the cars and congestion start to rise.
I talked to some students (not all from Malaysia) and I thought they had some interesting ideas.
For example, what if Penang launches an app that rewards users with points for taking buses, ferries, or future LRT rides — redeemable for discounts at local businesses, free parking vouchers, grocery vouchers, hawker food vouchers (!), etc?
Or follow a Singapore-style electronic road pricing (ERP) system on bottlenecks like the Penang Bridge and Gurney Drive.
Charges would vary by time of day, rising during peak hours and dropping when traffic is light.
Something a bit more unconventional would be to build small, affordable park-and-ride stations at the island’s edges (e.g. near Batu Maung or Teluk Kumbar) with frequent electric micro-buses (10-15 seats) shuttling to central areas.
These could use existing lots to keep costs low and offer free parking with a transit ticket, appealing to commuters who’d rather not pay RM9 daily downtown.
My personal favourite (from at least two decades ago) is to incentivise ride-sharing. Give Peter more rewards for picking up Paul and Mary from set locations throughout the island and dropping them within walking distance of their offices.
And of course there’s cycling. Subsidised e-bikes, dedicated bike lanes, biking mile-points (?), employer tax breaks for setting up bike parking and/or shower facilities, etc.
Likewise, Penang can encourage businesses to set up satellite offices or co-working spaces on the mainland or quieter island zones, linked by subsidised shuttles.
If fewer people commute into George Town daily, bridge and core traffic could drop. Tax incentives or grants could kickstart this shift, leveraging Penang’s tech and creative sectors.
Don’t these sound more promising than crudely upping parking charges?
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
