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WITH Penang’s ferry service to be updated soon to offer faster and safer boats, many travelers took the last chance for a slow ride across the canal on the old ferries that will mostly be retiring on New Years Day.
A control Sunday afternoon showed a long line of cars, mostly from other states, lined up along Weld Quay, patiently waiting to board the ferries one last time.
On the Butterworth side, a long line of motorists also waited to cross to the island by ferry.
Among those queuing on the island side was Simon Heng, 43, of Seremban. He had spent the weekend in Penang and wanted to leave the island by ferry.
“I’ve been waiting for over an hour. If I’d taken the bridge, I’d already be on the highway.
“But life is so. When the shuttles are close, he ignores them. But now that we know the old ferries will be retired, we are all rushing to get a ride, ”he said with a smile.
Heng admitted that, as a mode of public transportation, the old ferries were too inefficient for the modern world.
“We just want to travel by ferry for the fun of it. But if we really need it as public transport, other options are needed, ”he added.
Heng, a bank officer, confessed to feeling a bit bad that he could travel by ferry without paying a sen.
“We came over the bridge to celebrate Christmas on the island and we paid the toll. Now I go out by ferry and I don’t have to pay. Maybe this needs to be changed if they ever let us get on the ferries next time, ”he said.
In fact, toll is only charged for those who want to enter Penang Island, either by bridge or ferry.
There are no toll charges for those who leave.
At the Butterworth terminal, teacher Mohd Asik Said, 49, from Johor, said he was feeling a bit sad that the ferry service for four-wheelers was ending next year.
“We usually take the bridge when we get to Penang, but when we learned that cars will not be allowed on the ferries starting next year, we decided it was worth waiting in line to ride one,” he said.
However, ferry user Sandy Loke, 29, said she expected faster boats to cross the channel.
“You may like ferries if you are a tourist, but if you need to cross the channel by ferry for a specific purpose, then you know that it is not efficient.
“When I want to get back to my hometown of Butterworth by train, I have to cross the channel by ferry well in advance. The train will leave on time while the ferries tend to be late.
“Sometimes I got to Butterworth so late that I had to run to the train station. Fortunately, I have not yet missed a train, ”he said.
Starting on New Year’s Day, pedestrians wishing to cross the canal will be transported in high-capacity speedboats.
The last of the old ferries will remain temporarily in service, but only to transport two-wheelers. Four-wheelers will no longer be able to cross by ferry.
The existing ferry terminals will be rebuilt to allow for the docking of water buses and vehicle carriers for two-wheelers.
This should take 12 to 18 months and once they are ready the last of the old shuttles will also be retired.
Rather than being used for public transportation, Penang’s former ferries will be turned into floating restaurants, museums, and other purposes to keep its legacy alive.
Penang’s ferry service began in 1894, using steamboats.
The fleet had been replaced many times over the years. This current fleet of old double-decker square ferries was commissioned between 1971 and 2004.
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