GEORGE TOWN: Penang state government has set year-end timeline for the Gamuda Bhd-led SRS Consortium to submit application for approval to construct the light rail transit (LRT) project under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman, Chow Kon Yeow, said the group had yet to submit its initial proposal, which would include the alignment and the sites for the stations, to the state government.

He said SRS Consortium needed to get approval from the state government on the project before it proceeded to submit its proposal to the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

“Our timeline is by year-end for it (SRS Consortium) to submit to SPAD; the initial approval of the rail scheme would include alignment, sites of stations and financing model,” he told reporters yesterday.

He said SRS Consortium was appointed in August this year and currently over 30 engineers were working on the details of the project.

Earlier, Chow was appointed chairman of the Penang Transport Council by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

The SRS Consortium, a joint venture comprising Gamuda, Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd and Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd, was appointed the Project Delivery Partner for the PTMP projects.

The RM27bil PTMP projects also consist of 6.5km undersea tunnel, three highways and Penang Sky Cab.

Lim said the Sky Cab project was still in the viability study stage and MRCB Bhd was seeking approval from the relevant authorities.

“The project is expected to be completed by end-2018 and the company was scheduled to brief us on latest development by Oct 21,” he said. — Bernama