Main image via The Sun Daily + FMT
As Malaysians, we all know and/or have taken the ferry into Penang.
Many of us would have memories of driving into the iconic ferry and stepping out of our cars to get that sea breeze on the 15-20 minute journey with our loved ones.
Unfortunately, beginning 2021, the ferry service is saying goodbye.
Image via The Sun Daily
On 31st December, Penang’s iconic ferries will be retired and replaced by “fast ferries” which are smaller boats that are similar to those used in Langkawi.
The ferry services will be taken over by Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) who will begin the new waterbus service on 1st January 2021.
The current terminal is being refurbished and given a facelift with an air-conditioned lobby, and according to PPSB chief executive officer Sasedharan Vasudevan, all systems are in place for the takeover with three passenger-only waterbuses ready.
“There was confusion over the waterbus,” he said. “They will not ferry vehicles. We will have two vehicular ferries, or roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro), for two-wheelers.”
Image via The Star
According to the CEO, commuters will have to use one of the two Penang bridges to cross over as the boats are passenger-only.
“As we are not allowed to carry four wheelers, our priority is pedestrians,” he shared.
“Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong recently said in Parliament that only 200,000 vehicles used the ferry services, while 1.2 million were pedestrians,” he added. “Our top priority is commuters who use the ferries to get to work daily.”
Image via TrekEarth
The ferry service that’s been around for 126 years, will not be phased out in stages but will immediately come to halt at the end of the year as Sasedharan shared that most of the ferries were more than 40 years old and were not really seaworthy.
“The present fleet of ferries are ageing and it’s difficult to find replacement spare parts,” he said. “That is why we will be using [the] waterbus.”
“It’s not only the question of bringing in the waterbus but the entire facet of the terminal will have a new look,” he added. “We also plan to utilise the land bank on both sides by creating more parking space for locals and tourists.”
“This move will fit in well with the Penang Transport Master Plan, which includes water taxis and exploring waterways as a viable mode of transport to complement roads and highways for a comprehensive mode of transportation,” he continued.
Image via Free Malaysia Today
Serious concerns about the current ferry service were raised earlier this year as ferries caused repeated disruptions to commuters.
The new vessels will help to increase the reliability of the cross-channel service and they’ll also be able to shorten travel time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes with waterbuses running at an interval of 20 to 30 minutes.
PPSB shared that the last two remaining ferries – Pulau Talang Talang and Pulau Angsa, will be turned into a restaurant and a floating museum.
Image via Penang Property Talk
We’re definitely sad to see the iconic ferry go.
Thanks for the memories Penang Ferry!
Will you miss the ferry service like us? Let us know!
Info via The Star + FMT