State local government, traffic management and flood mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the RFP documents, from August 2014 to February 2015, would be displayed at Dewan Sri Pinang from Jan 16 to Feb 17 next year.
The public, he said, could peruse the two copies of the proposal for the transport master plan, which are in 21 volumes.
“People will be free to study the documents but they cannot make copies as they are classified official documents. They will also need to sign a declaration form,” he said.
Viewing hours are from 8am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm from Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 12.15pm and 2.45pm to 5pm on Friday.
Chow said the people should take note that the RFP was an “alternative transport master plan” by SRS Consortium, the company that won the tender to deliver the PTMP.
“The proposal has seen many changes, such as the integration of mega infrastructure projects done in collaboration with the local government, Public Works Department, Irrigation and Drainage Department and Malaysian Highway Authority.
“It will be noticeable that the original RFP does not include some projects,” he said.
The PTMP, which proposes light rail transit, monorail and tram lines, bus services and new highways for the state, has recently been the subject of criticism by civil groups and former DAP member Roger Teoh.
Teoh, who is studying for a PhD at the Centre for Transport Studies, Imperial College London, had made his point in a series of comment pieces. He quit DAP, claiming the party that leads the state government had not taken seriously his views on the matter.
Arguing that the state government would do better to focus on public transport to tackle Penang’s traffic woes, Teoh had questioned the master plan’s cost-benefit analysis, ridership forecast results, feasibility and approach to build more roads.
Chow said the project’s justification was also provided in the RFP by the company.
“The consortium also conducted its own economic and financial studies when it was bidding for the project. It appointed the international consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers to do it.
“It is all in the documents,” he said.
On accusations that the drafting up of the master plan depended solely on SRS’ recommendations, Chow said the state government had appointed peer review consultants.
He said experts from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) had been appointed to run technical and developmental reviews on the project’s transport and traffic model.
“This ensures checks and balances to protect the interests of the state and the citizens.”
Chow said the state government intended to work with the USM team through the entire implementation of the PTMP, adding that the two parties would soon ink a memorandum of understanding.