GEORGE TOWN: The state has been told to stop the traffic congestions and do what it can with the existing resources to give Penangites a decent quality of life.
Gerakan national vice-president Datuk Baljit Singh said enough had been said about the number of vehicles choking Penang island each time the holidays came.
He said the recent traffic snarls due to extended weekends and the school holidays had done nothing for stress levels and productivity.
"How long more is the state planning to stand around and say or do nothing about an issue which has clearly impaired the quality of life for its residents and visitors?
"While those from the hospitality industry are rejoicing over the hike in tourist arrivals on the island, it would be very selfish of them to think nothing of the rest of Penangites who have continued to be inconvenienced daily.
"We do not need to give way to tourists anymore to jam our streets while the rest of us remain in forced 'lockdowns' because travelling anywhere on the island has become an ordeal," he said today.
Since the start of the school holidays, Penang has been jam-packed with holiday makers, making a beeline to the state. Besides the city centre, roads leading to Batu Ferringhi and Balik Pulau also witnessed huge volumes of traffic.
Penangites have been lamenting about traffic congestions on certain roads, even on normal days. The situation worsens during long weekends and school holidays.
"With the public transport options currently, what solutions can the state offer to keep cars and other vehicles off the roads and ensure people can travel seamlessly and arrive at their destinations in a timely fashion?
"A good suggestion would be to put more Rapid buses on the road and offer free rides to everyone (for selected routes only). This can be done immediately and will help reduce the traffic burden," he added.
Baljit said the people were tired of hearing about the so-called transport-related projects which continued to be spoken about but plagued with all kinds of delays.
Earlier this week, Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng told the Penang government to think of new ways to alleviate traffic flow and make driving in Penang less stressful.