Penang has imposed limits on working hours and the number of traffic lanes that can be closed for road works, including construction related to the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, in an effort to minimise traffic disruption.
MBPP Mayor Dato’ Ir. A. Rajendran said works involving road cutting, utility installation and LRT construction along major roads are generally required to be carried out at night.
“For night works involving road cutting for utility installation or construction works related to the LRT project, we require the works to begin only after 10pm,” he said after MBPP’s ordinary council meeting at Irving Chamber on Sept 30.
He added that at locations with particularly heavy traffic volumes, contractors may only begin work after 11pm.
Rajendran said the works must also be completed by early morning so that affected roads can be reopened before traffic volumes increase.
For residential areas, he said night works are generally restricted, with works instead permitted during the morning and afternoon.
The mayor said MBPP recognises that ongoing development in George Town and Penang will inevitably cause some temporary inconvenience, but the council is taking steps to limit its impact on road users.
He said this includes specifying both the number of lanes that may be closed and the duration of closures for individual projects.
“George Town and Penang are developing and we need these projects. Any inconvenience will only be temporary,” Rajendran said.
“However, we are taking initiatives to ensure the impact on traffic is minimised by setting the number of lanes that can be closed as well as the period of closure.”
