LRT Mutiara Line Penang has 21 stations. Are you ready?

LRT Mutiara Line Penang has 21 stations. Are you ready?

Building the LRT is an important step, taking it will determine its success

Frankly, I am not that confident that most Penangites would take the LRT, even those staying along the stations. Stop using Singapore or Hong Kong as a benchmark even if both of them are islands. In Hong Kong, the parking is RM15 per hour, maybe higher depending on locations. It’s similar in Singapore plus the fact the petrol prices for both islands are easily 4 times or higher than Penang. Cars are considered cheap for Hong Kong’s typical salary but cars are super expensive for Singaporeans.

So, the situations are very different. We will need Penangites to have the mindset of saving the world and willingness to exercise in order for LRT to work. Then again, who knows, maybe Penangites will lead the world. We shall see once the LRT is completed many years from today. Let’s not put the date yet, let’s just come back and revisit when it has reached 80 percent completion okay. Many things could change as all of us have been witness to.

Article in malaymail.com. The Light Rail Transit (LRT) Mutiara Line project will feature 21 strategically located stations, including a provisional station on Penang South Reclamation Island-A (PSR-A), covering a total distance of 29.5 kilometres (km).

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the alignment starts at PSR-A with two terminus stations, namely Penang Sentral and the Tun Abdul Razak Complex (KOMTAR).

“A key enhancement of the LRT Mutiara Line project is the connection from KOMTAR to Penang Sentral, improving accessibility for residents on both sides of the Penang Strait,” he said at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony at the Bandar Sri Pinang LRT Station site here today.

Loke said the federal government had agreed to take over the project’s implementation from the Penang government following Cabinet approval in March last year.

“From construction to operations, the project is set to create numerous job opportunities, contributing to economic empowerment and workforce inclusivity in Penang,” he added. Please do read the article in full here: Article in malaymail.com.

Public transportation is a necessity, not for profit margins

If ticket prices are high so that the operations could breakeven or even have some profits, I think the LRT will fail. This is because people have so many options which are not necessarily worse versus the LRT yeah. Ticket prices have to be so attractive that it will attract everyone to start taking the LRT. Once habits are built, then they will continue to take them.

In fact if they did not buy a car, then of course they will take it every day too. I know, sometimes when they are rushing they may GRAB but that’s on occasions. Going to work daily will be using the LRT. So… perhaps the price could even be RM50 for unlimited rides?

I have no idea and it’s far too early to tell. I am sure RM50 per month is going to be really attractive. In fact, we should extend this to the foreign tourists so that more of them can come but they will not cause jams because they rent a car to drive or even taking the GRAB for every destination.

Will prices for homes nearby the stations be up?

I think some people would want to push the prices up. However just be aware that there’s always a ceiling to any premium yeah. Paying extra is okay for those who wants the access to these stations. However, paying a lot more is not likely to happen. So, be savvy to this fact. Just because the LRT station is a few hundred meters away does not mean the price of your home will double suddenly yeah.

Happy thinking about it.

Happy investing and please do share your thoughts. Thank you!

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