IPOH, Nov 19 — The proposed construction of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Ipoh City is very much needed towards making it a regional town after 2035, said Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin.
He said efforts were being made to turn the city into a new region and serve as a centre for nearby districts such as Kinta, Kampar, Batang Padang, Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lipis and Gua Musang.
“Turning Ipoh City into a regional city is our focus and hopefully it will contribute to Perak becoming a central region,” he told a press conference at an event to welcome delegates from the Terengganu Journalists Club to Ipoh City at the Lost World of Tambun Theme Park here yesterday.
Based on previous reports, a total of 28 stations are being planned for the proposed LRT system in Ipoh City, which will cover a distance of 58 kilometres.
According to the Draft Ipoh City Local Plan 2035 (Replacement) issued by the Ipoh City Council (MBI) on its website last Nov 16, the proposed LRT system comprises two routes of 16 stations each, with four common stations or interchanges.
The Meru Raya-Ipoh-Batu Gajah route covers 30km while the Bandar Sunway-Ipoh-Simpang Pulai sector stretches for 28km with a service frequency of six minutes.
State Housing, Tourism and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi was reported to have said that for a start, the transport hub would be developed on a 60-hectare site near the Ipoh Railway Station.
Apart from LRT, she said, the integrated transport hub would be supported by rapid transit buses, trams and taxis to increase the mobility of local residents and tourists.
Meanwhile, on the development of Silver Valley Technology Park (SVTP), Rumaizi said it had been submitted to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister’s Department for implementation under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP.
It covers an area of 1,139.2 hectares and is expected to be among the key factors to attract people to Ipoh City, he added.
SVTP is a new industrial park in Chemor and is expected to drive the high-tech manufacturing sector and act as a catalyst for the 4.0 industrial revolution.
“It will focus on the entire digital industry, not only in Perak, but the whole of Malaysia. In 2035, we will complete the infrastructure aspect, and Ipoh will no longer be a town for the elderly, but a town for the young because of digitalisation and offers many job opportunities as software engineers,” he said.
He said the development being planned for Ipoh City was in line with those made by other local government authorities in other states such as Penang City, Iskandar Puteri City in Johor, Seremban City in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka City.
Various developments are being planned for Ipoh City so that it would not be left behind as it is the second largest city in the northern region after Penang and one of the earliest to obtain the city status, which was in 1988, he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency