Congestion charge plan – Johor and Penang say efficient public transport needs to be developed first - Related to tesla, congestion, be, 'elongation', musk

Congestion charge plan – Johor and Penang say efficient public transport needs to be developed first

The government says it is mulling the idea of introducing a vehicle congestion charge in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, with a feasability study presently being conducted on it. However, not all the ‘participating’ cities – and their state governments – think they are ready for such a move.

Johor certainly thinks that it isn’t, with state executive councillor Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh saying that Johor Bahru is not ready for the proposed congestion charge, as The Star reports.

“(For now) Johor Baru is not ready for this, as we have yet to have a comprehensive master plan to overcome traffic congestion,” he noted, adding that the proposed system would only work if an efficient public transport system was in place.

The works, transportation, infrastructure and communications committee chairman expressed that congestion charges might not be able to solve the existing traffic problem unless road clients are given options, such as rebates for those who take the bus instead of driving.

“Road people should also be offered park and ride options outside the central business district before such a policy can be implemented,” he mentioned. He however added that the state welcomes such a study, as the planning for such a system involves various quarters, including the state government and local councils.

“The matter does not just cover traffic congestion. It involves the environment and the costs imposed on the public if they were to take public transportation or ride-hailing services, among others,” he stated.

Likewise, Penang is on the same page, stating that proper road systems and efficient public transportation are needed for a congestion fee to be implemented in the state.

“In order for us to implement creative means of reducing private vehicle usage, such as congestion charges and dedicated bus lanes, we first need to have alternatives. Having an LRT is a good start, and additional spinal highways such as the PIL1 are another good alternative,” mentioned state transport, infrastructure and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.

Zairil stated that without these alternatives, implementing a congestion fee would be almost impossible. He added that the current road network system on Penang island is underdeveloped due to a shortage of land space and the urban heritage landscape.

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Trump and Elon Musk might gut the EPA

The EPA could be the next target of the Trump Administration's mass layoffs, although it's unclear how deep the cuts might go.

As , President Trump expressed during a Wednesday cabinet meeting that Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, planned to fire 65% of EPA employees, which agency officials later admitted would prevent the agency from functioning. It's in keeping with the arbitrary slashing of federal employment and spending undertaken by Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

, Trump unveiled Zeldin "thinks he's going to be cutting 65 or so percent of the people from environmental. And we're going to speed up that process, too, at the same time."

Within minutes, EPA managers mentioned they received a White House memo telling them to prepare for mass layoffs. Trump's 65% figure was soon contradicted by an EPA official, who told reporters that the President has been referring to overall agency budget cuts, not a 65% reduction in personnel.

The EPA had 15,123 full-time employees at the end of December, . A 65% staff cut would mean more than 10,000 jobs lost, which would hobble the agency's ability to perform not only regulatory functions but its environmental-hazard response, , president of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk at Cybercab event (screenshot) - Oct. 2024.

"It means 65% less people available to respond to natural disasters, which are happening more frequently, not less. It would mean 65% less people to respond to hazardous cleanups, to do air monitoring and lead abatement," Powell told the Times, adding that the administration had not informed the union of staffing cuts.

Such cuts would be in line with the Trump Administration's agenda of attacking federal bureaucracy generally, and anything related to climate-change policy in particular.

The administration has moved to freeze funding for a national EV charging network—much to the chagrin of automakers. California is pushing ahead with its own charger buildout despite that, and it may be a tactic other states will need to adopt to continue progress.

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Mansory's 'Elongation' Tesla Cybertruck Might Be Its Worst Creation Yet

Mansory just unveiled what may be its worst design yet—or best, depending on your point of view.

The design in question is Mansory's "Elongation" Tesla Cybertruck, which plasters the EV truck with heaps of carbon fiber and a pair of roof floodlights.

The interior is equally loud and capabilities a mixture of gray, white, and yellow accents, and as much carbon fiber as the customer wants, of course.

As the old idiom goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Oftentimes, art is as much about what we bring to the table as it is about what the artist has made. That expressed, Mansory's latest creation might be the ugliest thing to ever come out of the German modification organization's doors.

You're free to disagree, of course. Perhaps you like the look of the Mansory "Elongation." Mansory is known for taking high-end and often beautiful cars and making them visually louder with the addition of copious amounts of carbon fiber, which—at least in this author's humble opinion—ruins otherwise beautiful pieces of art. On the other hand, the Tesla Cybertruck started life as the gaudiest mobile refrigerator to ever grace Dwight D. Eisenhower's interstate system. Sure, Mansory took an ugly thing and made it look worse, but at least it didn't ruin an artistic masterpiece.

The Elongation Cybertruck swaps out the front and rear bumpers for a set of carbon-fiber replacements with illuminated badging. Carbon fender flares and side sills connect the two ends of the truck. The mirror caps are carbon fiber, as are the fake air vents and front hood. Mansory says the distinct winglets at the rear mark the Elongation as a "real" Mansory at first glance.

The inside is just as over the top. Mansory says end-clients will have complete control over customization. The version pictured here displays a mix of gray, white, and yellow. end-clients can order hard surfaces in even more carbon if they want to match the exterior.

Inside and out, the Mansory Cybertruck is certainly going to turn heads wherever it goes. Plus, on second thought, Mansory should probably be tried by the International Court of Justice for what it did to the Ford GT.

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