Get rid of tough issues the simple way

My letter in The Star
Sunday October 24, 2010

Get rid of tough issues the simple way

MOST public issues can be avoided or resolved with mere common sense. I wish to illustrate this with a few examples in Penang.

The new bus terminal at Butterworth, though temporary, is modern, well organised and clean. It is currently free of annoying touts unlike the old terminal, and for this I must commend the authorities.

However, one cannot help wonder about the illogical movement of the buses. They enter the terminal from the main road at the far end instead of the nearer end. This brings them into a “loop”. And when the buses leave the terminal at the nearer end, they meet with the incoming buses.

The congestion is made worse by indiscriminate parking around the area. Merely reversing the flow would avoid the chaos.

The bus terminal is connected to the ferry terminal and the train station by a set of escalators. Near these, there is a sign that says “Link to ferry and KTMB”. One can only conclude that all tourists are expected to know that KTMB is a train station.

Heavy usage of these escalators causes frequent breakdowns, and as the escalators are the only link between the two terminals, repair or maintenance works are extremely difficult unless done in the middle of the night, which is not the case.

Ironically, there is an old staircase and another set of escalators just metres away that used to connect to the old bus terminal at the adjacent site. Utilising this would easily provide an alternative way to the new bus terminal without much cost, but the old staircase and escalators are blocked and left unused for unknown reasons.

Upon reaching the island, it then becomes a long walk to the bus terminal there. The long, winding walkway is taxing for the daily commuters, senior citizens, the handicapped or those with heavy luggage.

The walkway can actually be shortened significantly if the authorities set up a staircase or escalator at a spot that can cut through the winding pathway. It could be further reduced if this goes straight into the bus terminal, instead of going around it.

The waiting area at the island’s terminal has a small gate that is controlled by a worker. When there are too many people waiting for the ferry, the worker will forcibly close the gate to avoid an overload. It is a matter of time before a serious accident happens; a better control mechanism is needed.

Also, there is no sign to inform the public that no ferry fare is required when leaving the island. From time to time, tourists can be seen asking where to pay the fare, and it doesn’t help that the crew do not speak English.

A lot of things can be improved and the journey between the mainland and the Penang island could be a pleasant one, for which the public would be more than willing to pay a higher fare.

A. HASHIM,

Sungai Petani.