THOSE of us who watched The Jetsons, a TV cartoon series in the 1960s, would have often wondered whether the futuristic show's glimpse of life in the 21st century would come to pass.
Now that we're in the third decade of the 21st century, robots as servants have materialised.
But not flying cars yet. We're still far away from that dream, although electric cars are now everywhere.
As nations progress, vehicle purchases seem to be a sign of rising wealth. In Malaysia's case, there were 36.3 million vehicles on the register in the last quarter of 2023.
But not all of them are active. A significant number of disabled ones have become eyesores in our landscape, hence the emergence of a new way to deregister them.
Some 12.54 million of them are lying in the sun or shade.
The point is, while the number of new vehicles keeps on rising (especially through customer-friendly loans stretching up to 108 months), the existing roads can't match the exponential surge.
So, what do we do?
Progressive planners have embraced efficient mass rapid transit systems like those in Singapore and Hong Kong. Even Kuala Lumpur proudly has one, besides its light rail transit and monorail systems.
The LRT has been around in the Klang Valley since 1996. Now my "kampung", Penang, is getting into the act.
But some claim that an LRT for Penang would be a "white elephant" or "financial, technical and environmental albatross" that could spell financial ruin.
They've suggested autonomous rapid transit (ART), which Kuching is implementing, or bus rapid transit (BRT). An ART for Kuching is okay, as Sarawak is much bigger than Peninsular Malaysia.
I'm wary of the right-of-way constraints with ARTs or BRTs. Look at the dedicated bus lanes in KL. How many motorists adhere to the rules in Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak, during the morning or evening crawl?
Securing dedicated lanes can be challenging with limited space, leading to conflicts with other road users. At the end of the day, they're still buses.
We've heard enough complaints about traffic snarls in George Town and surrounding areas during the festive seasons.
Gone are the days when one could stay at a Batu Ferringhi beach hotel, nip out to George Town for yummy nasi kandar, char koay teow or cendol, and be back in a jiffy.
On festive days, this round trip can take up to four hours, or even more, especially when you've got to hunt for parking space!
It was music to the ears when an LRT network was announced for Penang.
Starting from Bayan Lepas (besides the airport, it's also an important electronics hub) to Komtar in the city centre, there'll also be connections from Komtar to Ayer Itam and Tanjong Bungah, two densely populated tourism hotspots, and later even to fast-developing Simpang Ampat on the mainland. Hence, concerns about ridership numbers should be dispelled.
It's time Penang moved up the value chain if it wants to be a high-tech hub, food haven, tourism magnet and a pleasant place to work and stay (or retire; let's not forget the active MM2H retirees from high-income countries).
Why LRT systems? They can efficiently transport large numbers of passengers and reduce traffic congestion and travel times. They produce less greenhouse gas emissions compared with cars, thus contributing to environmental sustainability and better air quality.
While initial construction costs can be high, they often provide long-term savings compared with maintaining and expanding road networks.
I cite one example why I am rooting for the LRT. More than a decade ago, I had an important evening appointment in PJ. The roads out of KL were choked with traffic following a thunderstorm.
An LRT trip from Ampang Park to Kelana Jaya (15 stations away) took about 30 minutes. It could have taken two hours to inch about in a car! I can mention more examples.
Going forward, Penangites would have to consider whether they want to shed their "chay moto" (riding motorcycles in Hokkien) mentality or glide like an albatross on an LRT!
The writer is a former Bernama chief executive officer and
editor-in-chief