THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) launched its ‘Pedestrian is King 2.0’ campaign at Lebuh Melayu in George Town today with the aim of clearing obstructions along five-foot ways.
Tan Seng Keat, the MBPP alternate chairman for infrastructure and traffic, said the purpose of the campaign is to make Penang a pedestrian-friendly city.
“We want to allow members of the public to walk more safely and be protected from the sun and rain,” Tan told reporters.
Also present with him were fellow MBPP councillors Shahrudin Mohamed Shariff, Wong Yuee Harng, Connie Tan, Azli Ibrahim and Rohaizat Hamid, MBPP administration officer P. Chandrasegaran, MBPP senior engineer Zainuddin Mohamad Sharif and some MBPP staff members.
A five-foot way in Lebuh Melayu is strewn with unwanted papers and blocked by a bicycle and motorcycle.
They distributed flyers to residents at Lebuh Melayu and also advised them as well as traders and hawkers not to place objects, like tables, chairs and boxes on five-foot ways.
Shahrudin said the 2.0 campaign would focus on three areas – Lebuh Melayu, Lebuh Chulia and Jalan Datuk Keramat.
“We’re distributing flyers to the residents. We don’t want to take action now and we’re giving them one month to remove any barriers on the five-foot ways. We believe in community engagement,” said Shaharudin.
MBPP has been working to clear the obstacles on five-foot ways of buildings for some years.
The George Town World Heritage Site Special Area Plan, gazetted in 2016, recommends that five-foot ways should be made barrier-free for the safety, accessibility and comfort of pedestrians.
Under Section 46 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133), offences are punishable by arrest and fines not exceeding RM500 for the first offence and not exceeding RM1,000 for second and subsequent offences.
Connie said besides stressing on a pedestrian-friendly five-foot ways, the 2.0 campaign is a continuation of the first one that was implemented since 2015.
“We want to continue to highlight on zebra crossings as we did in 2015,” she said, citing a tragic case in which a Japanese elderly woman was killed by a Myvi driver while using a pedestrian crossing in Pulau Tikus on Jan 24.
On April 7, 2017, a local woman was killed at another pedestrian crossing in Pulau Tikus when a motorcyclist rammed into her.
“In some other countries, motorists will stop when they see pedestrians at zebra crossings. We want to instil this kind of culture,” Connie added.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud