A minor change to the LRT Mutiara Line will not have a major effect on the environmental impact assessment, says the CEO of MRT Corp

GEORGE TOWN, May 4 – Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has assured that a minor change to the original plan of the Mutiara Line of the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) project will not have a major effect on environmental impacts Assessment (MER).

MRT Corp CEO Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said the minor change was in relation to the LRT alignment passing through Jalan Gurdwara before heading towards Komtar and onwards to Penang Sentral.

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“The original route of the alignment was through the coastal area and does not include Penang Sentral. Not the entire alignment has been changed, just a minor change, so that construction work on other alignments not affected by this change can continue by the end of this year and the completion target remains early 2030.

“We have submitted the addendum to the EIA report for approval for the minor change in the plan,” he told the media today at the MRT Corp stand at the Northern Zone Madani Rakyat Program at the Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, near here .

He said the construction of the alignment will be done in phases, starting with the part that has received approval under the EIA, while the area affected by the relevant change will first go through the process of getting approval of the addendum.

Mohd Zarif said the route, which will connect the island to Seberang Perai, would use the elevated track above the sea due to the cost factor.

He said the Komtar station would be integrated with two new lines for future constructions, namely the Air Itam and Tanjung Bungah lines, while Penang Sentral will become a transport hub connecting ferry, train and bus services in Penang .

“We will also hold a public engagement session for this project in the next three months,” he said.

Mohd Zarif said MRT Corp would meet industry players in the state to discuss possible collaborations in the railway sector, which would enhance the technical capabilities of local players.

Meanwhile, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, who was also present, hoped that the people would join hands to make the project a success and help alleviate the traffic congestion problem in Penang.

“I hope people will also visit the stand to get more information about this project,” he said. – Bernama