GEORGE TOWN: Christmas may be over but until the school term commences next week, the narrow roads here are expected to be congested with an influx of vehicles from outside the state.

This is because there is an estimated 40% increase in the entry of vehicles, as reported by Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), said Traffic Police Operation and Enforcement Officer Asst Supt Ahmad Ezzely Razali.

A check in several areas here at about 2pm yesterday showed that the major roads leading to tourists spots and landmarks in Penang were jammed.

The roads were Magazine Road (next to 1st Avenue Mall), Penang Road leading to Transfer Road and Burmah Road as well as Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah leading to Lebuh Farquhar and Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling.

Traffic along those roads was slow-moving.

“The traffic congestion is expected to continue until school reopens. We have deployed our traffic officers to the congested areas during peak hours from 6am to 8am and from 5pm to 7pm daily. They will direct the traffic flow along busy roads and at tourist spots.”

He said traffic police would be deployed in full force during the festive period.

ASP Ahmad Ezzely said the traffic movement here was monitored in the control rooms of the state police headquarters and the George Town district police headquarters.

He advised motorists to report incidents that could cause congestion such as minor accidents to the control room at 04-222 1722 or 04-218 1822.

A company driver who only wished to be known as Ali said that it took him 30 minutes to get from Komtar to Anson Road where his office is.

“On normal days, it takes me about five minutes or less,” he said.

Sundry shop assistant, R. Surenthar, 19, said he had noticed a traffic crawl at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling in front of his shop.

“It is the same each year during the school holidays,” he said.

Figures from the portal penangeconomicmonhtly.com, which quoted the Road Transport Department, show that there are some 800,000 registered motorists along with a million registered motorcycles.

Source: The Star

A PIECE of land covering the peak of Pearl Hill in Tanjung Bungah and its surrounding area in Penang will be transformed into a park with a viewing point for tourists.

Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu said a 6.07ha piece of land where a Tua Pek Kong Temple is located near the peak of the hill had been identified for the project.

He said the park would be loca-ted some 152.4m above sea level.

It would provide tourists with a panoramic view of the sea, Tanjung Bungah, Tanjung Tokong and Batu Ferringhi, he said.

Exclusive Series @ Taman Bagan, a residential development by BSG Property located within the established township of Taman Bagan in Butterworth, Penang. This property development comprises 30 units 2-storey terrace houses. It comes with unique dual frontage design.

Property Project : Exclusive Series @ Taman Bagan
Location : Taman Bagan, Penang
Property Type : 2-Storey Terrace
Tenure : Freehold
Total Units : 30
Developer : Chainferry Development Sdn Bhd (Boon Siew Group)

PHASE One of the road upgrades on Penang island by the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) is now 30% completed and it is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2013.

The project involving several roads is aimed at reducing traffic congestion on the island.

Six construction packages, at a total cost of RM37mil, have been planned for phase one.

“The first package to be completed was in July 2011. It involved the upgrading of the Lorong Batu Lancang and Lebuhraya Thean Tek intersection.

“The RM300,000 upgrade was completed in three months and it provides a free-flow left-turn for northbound traffic on Lorong Batu Lancang towards Lebuhraya Thean Tek,” said the council acting deputy director of engineering department A. Rajendran during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The second package, currently 90% completed, is the upgrading of the state mosque interchange to provide additional lanes, plus more right-turn lanes into Jalan Air Itam.

The RM1.2mil upgrade which commenced in August, is expected to be finished by January next year.

“Another package which has started work, is the upgrading of Jalan Gottlieb and Jalan Bagan Jermal to provide additional lanes on both sides, thereby increasing the roadway capacities.

“The additional lanes will also function as waiting area for school traffic during dismissal hours. Bicycle lanes will also be provided from the intersection in Jalan Kebun Bunga to Jalan Kelawei,” he said.

For the bicycle lanes, the completion progress is only 10% as work only started in November this year.

The tender had closed three months earlier at a price tag of RM3.5mil.

It is expected to be ready by July 2012.

The remaining packages which have yet to begin work are the removal of traffic lights at the intersection in Jalan Scotland and Jalan Batu Gantung, upgrading of Udini Roundabout to provide free-flow U-turn for northbound traffic and an elevated U-turn at Lorong Batu Lancang to cater for traffic from Jalan Taman Greenview, Jalan Tembaga and Lorong Batu Lancang.

Phase two of the road upgrading project comprises 10 future development plans and they are expected to be completed by 2014 at an estimated cost of RM24mil

Present at the briefing was Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who had earlier announced the project in May.

The public is welcome to provide feedback on the road upgrades by e-mailing Rajendran at rajendra@mppp.gov.my.

Source: The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian property market is likely tosee a gradual slowdown next year, taking into consideration the uncertainty in the global economic situation.

President of Fiabci Malaysia, Yeow Thit Sang, said the high end residential units were already seeing a slowdown both in pricing and the take-up rate.

“There are less expatriates from multinational companies (MNCs) coming here and rentals with a yield of between six and eight per cent are no longer achievable.

“Investors in these units will have to wait longer to realise their investment. The slowdown in global economy is definitely affecting the high-end property market,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

He also saw a fallout for office space next year, saying the category was already overbuilt and the overhang felt in the market with rental falling and a slow take-up rate.

However, there is a huge demand for low medium and medium cost residential units below RM300,000 with most developers building high-end units to cash in on the good time.

“The government’s effort in building such units in joint venture with developers will help the low income earners to own affordable homes.

“Building such units will not be fast enough to relieve the pent up demandover the last five years,” he added. Meanwhile, Zerin Properties’ Chief Executive Officer, Previndran Singhe,said the slowdown in the property market would only last in the first quarternext year and the industry will be stable afterwards. “Prices will remain stable, with asking prices, not values, becoming morereasonable as owners check their values to real pricing. “At present, sentiment is down due to the eurozone financial crisis and theUS double dip fears, which has been faring for a long time, but I think we aremore Asia focused,” he told Bernama. If and when China goes on reverse gear, then there would have to be concernsin the market, otherwise, barring external shocks, the industry should have astable year next year, he said. Contrary to common belief and expectations, the property market hasregistered 214,764 transactions worth RM64.75 billion within the first half of2011. Against the first half of 2010, the volume and value of transactionsrecorded double digit growth of 18.1 per cent and 29.7 per cent respectively. — BERNAMA

Source: Business Times