Penang can learn from Jakarta's experience with BRT
Which mode of public transport should be implemented in Penang? The state government’s Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) proposes an elevated Light Rail Transit (LRT) serving as the public transport backbone on the island, in the first phase of the massive project. Since the announcement of the LRT plan three years ago, there have been counter-proposals with alternatives such as Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) believed to be cheaper and quicker in implementation. However, many do not know what the BRT is and how it is different from regular bus services like the present Rapid Penang buses. The only example in Malaysia is the RM634 million Sunway BRT with its own 5.4 km elevated road, launched in June 2015. Two features of BRT There are two distinct features of the BRT that are absent in regular bus services. First is the dedicated lane and given priority at road intersections for buses to move with the least interruption from other vehicles. Some BRT systems come with two ded