Penang will be greenest and most liveable city in Asia - Jagdeep

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 3 (Bernama) -- The Penang state government is looking into an ambitious vision to make Penang the greenest and most liveable city in Asia by introducing the Penang Green Connectors project.

State Housing, Local Government, Town and Rural Development Committee chairman, Jagdeep Singh Deo said this would include the creation of a coastal park stretching from Tanjung Tokong to Batu Maung, near here and a series of linear parks along existing rivers to connect the sea to Penang's hills.

"We are trying to have a seamless connectivity throughout the coastal part of the island whereby to date there are bicycle lanes.

"We have an intention to build at least 200km of bicycle lanes whereby to date 180km have already been completed involving a cost of RM34.8 million," he told a press conference, here today.

He said the state government also has plans to build a bicycle and pedestrian lane with the concept of Green Connectivity from Gurney Wharf to Batu Ferringhi.

Jagdeep said the total length of the new lane from Gurney Wharf to Batu Ferringhi is 12.5km of which 2km had been built at Sri Tanjung Pinang and 2.5km from Tesco Sri Tanjung Pinang to Hotel Flamingo, here being constructed while 8km were at the planning stage.

"As part of this Green Connectivity, we also have Ecodeck program that we have whereby we will be putting decks out from the road towards the sea. So that there can be disconnectivity as well especially because of the fact that the northern part of the coastal road of Penang is rather narrow.

"So we have to do Ecodeck with a total length of 6km from Flamingo Hotel beach to Shangri La's Rasa Sayang beach with an estimated cost of RM40 million. We will ask for financial assistance from the federal government," he said.

-- BERNAMA