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GEORGE TOWN: It was a case where you don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it, as thousands of Penangitas and outsiders rushed to get their last ride on Penang’s open deck ferries before they went out of service on 1 January.
So desperate were they that they were willing to wait more than two hours, even fighting the need to respond to the call of nature.
On the island side, the queue of vehicles stretched over 1km away, and cars snaked up to the Jubilee clock tower. When they finally got on board, the occupants headed straight for the tiny ferry toilets and had to deal with another long queue there.
For the Cheng Wei Chun family, the wait started at 2.40 pm and when they reached the bowels of the Pulau Talang Talang ferry, it was after 5 pm.
Cheng was one of those who climbed the narrow and steep steps to reach the passenger deck where the bathroom is. When he got back to his car, the ferry was almost ready to dock and they were unable to interview him.
Others who were able to speak to the media were disappointed by the shutdown of the shuttles. Butterworth native Kelly Saw, 41, said it was a big deal for him, as the ferry was the icon of the provincial capital.
He said that in the late 1980s and 1990s, the people of Butterworth looked forward to ferries every weekend for their leisure activities. Most of the port city residents did not have a car at the time and worked on the island, he said.
“At one point, we only had Grand and Fajar supermarkets, and the island had many more shopping complexes. We look forward to our weekend trips on the ferry.
“Ferries are an integral part of Butterworth. Although we now have cars, ferries were our soul, an icon we are proud of, ”he said.
Saw, a foot passenger, brought his wife Valerie Loh, 36, and their two young children, 10 and 4, on his ferry trip to enjoy a hawker fare at Weld Quay.
While many ferry passengers were seen taking in the cool breeze and taking selfies and wefies on a hot afternoon, some crowded around artist Khoo Cheang Jin, who is drawing daily life aboard the ferry.
He has been on the ferry since December 20, trying to capture fleeting moments, from those who scan their temperature at the doors to the ferry attendants who open the doors when docking.
The 57-year-old native of the island also said he was saddened by the removal of the ferries. Looking back on earlier times on the ferry, he said that many things have changed.
“Twenty years ago, I would have sketched a larger variety. People chatted, read newspapers, fell asleep in cars. Today, all I see is people on their phones, ”he said.
For senior citizen Endon Abdullah, 66, the ferry remains a novelty. It was only his second voyage on a deep sea ship in his entire life, as he lives in Temerloh, Pahang. His last ferry trip was in the 1990s.
Kajang Shahrullrizal Sulaiman’s banker, 44, a Penang regular, said at least one of the old ferries should be kept.
“The people of Penang take great pride in their ferries, we should keep them forever. At least drive an old boat with 50% capacity, ”he said.
One of the older ships will actually continue to operate until at least July 2022, but it will have no passengers or cars. Only motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles will be allowed on board.
More passengers are expected to ride the ferry tomorrow on its final pedestrian and four-wheeler trips.
In fact, since December 24, ferry revenue and passenger numbers increased by 50%, according to officials.
