Penang needs a fourth link, says CM

GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has insisted that a fourth link between the mainland and the island is needed following yesterday's severe traffic congestion after a mishap along the main link - Penang Bridge.
To compound matters, Lim said many residents here have complained that the second link - the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge (Second Penang Bridge) was, unfortunately, suffering from a low load factor because it was located far from the main strategic areas of the mainland and island.
The other link is the cross-channel ferry service which has also suffered from poor load factors and has now scaled down on its operational capacities.
Hence, the over-reliance on the Penang Bridge which is undergoing a 12-month long maintenance exercise has resulted in a spate of recent accidents.
Lim told a press conference that this was the main driving force for the undersea tunnel project between Gurney Drive and Bagan Ajam.
"We have to be mindful that a small accident on the bridge can trigger massive jams. This is why a fourth link is needed more than ever."
Lim also lambasted the main critic of the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project -Deputy MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong for criticising the project.
He said that many federal leaders cannot comprehend the hardship of being stuck in a traffic congestion, as they can rely on helicopters to fly them to their public events whereas the average person can't.