Reviews & Press : : Penang Trams, Trolleybuses & Railways: Municipal Transport History 1880s-1963

The Star
Friday, 10 August 2007
by Ng Su-Ann

Trams for inner George Town?

PUBLIC buses plying within the inner city of George Town may be phased out if the state government’s proposal to reintroduce trams here gets the green light.

Australian tram engineer Ric Francis, commissioned by the state government to conduct a study on the proposal, said trams needed to run in the middle of the road.

“If public buses were phased out, trams could replace them with no difficulty,” he said recently.

The tram network in Penang could be done in four phases with phase one using 50% of the old existing track, which could be dug out, he said.

Penang’s first recorded tram system was run on steam bet- ween the jetty at Weld Quay and Air Itam with a branch to the Penang Botanic Gardens in the 1880s.

A 50m tramline was unearthed at the Chulia Street-Penang Road junction in 2004 during road works and was preserved by the council.

The initial study would be completed by Sunday and he would send a full report within two weeks.

Francis, who wrote the book called Penang Trams, Trolleybuses and Railways, said a separate tram providing a guided tour of the historical inner city could cater for tourists.

Francis recommended China-made trams, which Malaysia could barter trade for them with palm oil.

“One tram can keep 55 cars off the road based on four passengers per car and it is pollution free,” he said.

He will be giving a public lecture on Re-introducing the Tramways in Penang – A Proposal for Action on Saturday at 10am in Penang Heritage Trust at 26, Church Street.

Admission is free. For details, call the trust at 04-2642631.