Pulau Tikus to become Penang's first environmental neighbourhood

GEORGE TOWN: Suburb township Pulau Tikus is set to become Penang's first environmental neighbourhood with greenery in public spaces and walking pavements as part of its people-friendly infrastructure project.
Its assemblyman Yap Soo Huey said the five-phased neighbourhood improvement project is to create active and connected neighbourhoods with the aim of getting people living nearby to walk and exercise in public spaces and to reduce traffic and car dependency.
The five phases include the area in front of Burmah House, Tan Mark book centre, Bellisa Row, Immaculate Conception Church and near Jalan Brown.
Pavements along the 1.3km of Jalan Burmah will also be transformed into a recreation area with seating facilities and bicycle parks amidst a green environment.
Yap said the phase one work in front of Burmah House measuring about 6,400ft² was ongoing and expected to be completed next month.
She said the estimated cost of RM150,000 is sponsored equally by her service centre and Think City and if the project is successful, it will be implemented in other areas.
"This will be a pilot project," she told a press conference attended by Think Tank executive director Hamdan Abdul Majeed and Permata landscape architect Teng Pe Yang.
Hamdan commended Yap for making her constituency a better place for the people.
A public survey in 2013 revealed that residents and non-residents in the constituency preferred a healthy environment, a place for recreation and leisure, less traffic and an ideal place to study.