Transport Minister Anthony Loke is reported to have approved a date to launch the 29-kilometre Penang's Light Rail Transport (LRT) project, with the first station to be built in Lebuh Macallum in December. The alignment begins on the mainland at Penang Sentral and passes across the channel to Lebuh Macallum. From there, the multibillion-ringgit line will pass through Komtar, Bandar Sri Pinang, Sungai Pinang, East Jelutong, The Light, Gelugor, Jalan Universiti, Sungai Dua, Sungai Nibong, Bukit Jambul, SPICE, Jalan Tengah, the Free Industrial Zone, Free Industrial Zone South, Sungai Tiram, the Penang International Airport, Permatang Damar Laut and Silicon Island, which will serve as a depot. The Penang LRT, which is expected to be completed in 2030, will have 20 stations, including two interchange stations at Komtar and Penang Sentral in Butterworth, with the goal of reducing the state's chronic traffic congestion. For the record, the federal government has officially taken over the Penang LRT project, with projected ridership ranging from five million to 42 million passengers.
