PROPERTY developers should channel funds into a common pool for the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to appoint independent consultants for traffic impact studies.

MPPP councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui said that the studies up to now have been quite ineffective because consultants were appointed by individual developers.

“We should consider a new system for independent consultants to take an integrated rather than piecemeal approach,” he told a full council meeting yesterday.

Dr Lim said that Penang would end up like Hong Kong with high-density development and over-crowding without the public infrastructure to support it if high-rise buildings were conti-nually being approved and if developers continued to buy up every piece of available property to build to the maximum density ratio.

“I’m not against development. What we need to ask is what type of development — is it rampant and unbalanced, or is it sustainable and balanced?

“I’m afraid our concept of development is simply too property-centric,” he added.

Dr Lim also said that it was the responsibility of the state — politicians, councillors, civil servants and policy makers — to provide the checks and balances, to protect public interest and come up with sensible policies to ensure sustainable development.

Meanwhile, the MPPP financial management sub-committee proposed increasing compounds issued to offenders who were not civic-conscious.

Its alternate chairman Tan Hun Wooi said that the committee proposed to increase the compounds by 100%.

“Examples of errant behaviour include hawkers who smoke while cooking or those who throw rubbish into the drain,” he said.

MPPP Public Health standing committee alternate chairman Ong Ah Teong said the commit- tee approved a 30% reduction on stall rentals at the market complex at Lintang Macallum 2, Ocean View hawker complex and the stalls on the upper floor of the Bayan Baru market complex beginning this month until July next year.

SOURCE: The Star