Walking Zone

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) has mooted the idea of creating pedestrian walk in Little India here.

The idea, said local government and traffic management committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, had been in discussions before with the Penang Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The council, he said, had also approached Think City Sdn Bhd for consultation.

The pedestrian walk proposal, which would see streets in Little India closed to traffic, would help ease traffic congestion on the narrow streets there.

Chow said the council felt that Little India, with its concentration of shops, was the most suitable location in the city to introduce the idea.

However, everything was still in the preliminary stage and the idea, although not new and has been implemented in various cities around the world, might not be easily accepted by traders and the local community there.

"The council anticipates resistance from the public, as many people are used to driving their vehicles in and out of Little India. "Perhaps after the proposal is finalised, we can start with a trial period to see how things go."

Chow, who is also Tanjung member of parliament and Padang Kota assemblyman, said the pedestrian walk idea could be something good for Little India and the public and hoped the community would be receptive to it.

He added that the introduction of a pedestrian walk in Little India was an eventuality after the completion of the council's multi-storey car park near Lebuh Pantai and the upgrading of the streets in the area.

The chamber's president N. Vasantharajan said there were many issues to consider before such a proposal could be realised.

Apart from textile shops and fashion houses, Little India also has many sundry shops and jewellery shops, he said.

"For those buying clothes and textiles, parking their vehicles elsewhere to walk around and shop in Little India would not be much of a hassle.

"But it would be a problem for those buying goods in bulk from the sundry shops...we also cannot expect customers to walk back to their cars, which might be parked outside of Little India, after buying jewellery," Vasantharajan said, pointing out the inconveniences and security issues that might emerge.

However, he said a meeting with Little India traders would be called soon to hear their views.

Apart from the pedestrian walk issue, he said the chamber and the Penang Island Municipal Council were also working to iron out outstanding traffic and flood issues in Little India.

He also thanked the council for promising to supply Little India with more symbolic or festive lights for next year's Deepavali celebration.

"Hopefully, with the additional decorative lights, our Little India will look as beautiful and festive as our counterpart in Singapore," he said.

Source: By Looi Sue-Chern