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GEORGE TOWN: Penang has welcomed the government’s plan to ensure that the island’s ferries remain in service.
“I hope it becomes a reality and that the iconic ferry will continue to serve the people of Penang and also the visitors,” said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He added that the state had not been officially informed of the new development.
“The main problem was about the allocations: the port of Penang said that if the federal government could bear the costs, the ferry would continue to operate,” he told a news conference in Komtar on Thursday (December 17).
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz told Dewan Rakyat early Thursday that the government would ensure that Penang’s iconic ferries remain in service.
He also said that the RM30,000 allocated by the previous Pakatan Harapan government for Penang Port Sdn Bhd to take over the ferry services would be funneled through two installments next year.
“The government will ensure that the Port of Penang continues the iconic Penang ferry service,” he said.
Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) thanked Tengku Zafrul for the decision and urged the Minister of Transport to implement it.
The Port of Penang Commission (PPC) and the Port of Penang Sdn Bhd (PPSB), in a joint press conference on Tuesday (December 15), said that the entire ferry fleet would be ashore from January 1. of 2021, and that only one would be used to transport two-wheelers during the interim period until the terminal renovation works are completed in early 2022.
PPC Chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said that two of the ferries would dock at Tanjung City Marina and be used as floating museums or in-house restaurants, which would be offered to interested parties through open tender.
PPSB CEO Sasedharan Vasudevan said the company will bring in three pedestrian water buses and two vehicle transporters to replace the ferries once the remodel is complete.
All four-wheelers will use the two Penang bridges from January 1, as vehicle transporters are for two-wheelers only.
Earlier this year, serious concerns were raised as breakdowns in the current ferry fleet caused problems for travelers.
The Penang ferry service was suspended due to a technical failure on two ferry vessels, the Pulau Angsa and the Pulau Undan.
Two others, Pulau Talang and Pulau Kapas, had to be grounded to perform engine overhaul and improvement work.
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