Penang Waiting For Notice To Proceed To Start Physical Construction Of LRT - Chow

GEORGE TOWN, July 1 (Bernama) -- The Penang government is still waiting for the official notice to proceed (NTP) from the Transport Ministry and Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) so that the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) physical construction can begin.

Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the notice was required to allow SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd (SRS), as the main public work contractor for Package 1 of the project to start according to the plan and schedule.

"Some initial work has been done at the project site, including soil study, land acquisition and compensation negotiations with owners, but the official notice is important to allow physical construction work completely,” he told reporters after officiating the 2025 Penang Transport Day at Komtar today, in the presence of state Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.

 He added that the state government has done its duty when it handed over its role in the project to MRT Corp and released SRS Konsortium as the party that had requested the LRT implementation previously.

“The state government’s link with SRS is now in the context of the Penang Transport Master Plan, but the LRT project has been taken over by MRT Corp. The main duty is now with the federal government to issue the notice,” he said.

Chow also said that the contractor has to ensure that the road area taken up is replaced by expanding the road on the side by maintaining the number of existing lanes to avoid traffic congestion that occurred during the LRT construction in Kuala Lumpur.

The state government does not plan to impose any congestion charge as the priority was to ensure that the project and traffic management during the construction period run smoothly, he added.

-- BERNAMA