Penang plans to scrap vehicular ferry service

BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) will scrap the vehicular ferry service between Penang island and Seberang Prai once the expansion of the Penang Bridge is completed in September next year.

PPSB chief operating officer Mohd Niana Merican Abd Kadir Merican said the remaining four vehicular-cum-passenger ferries would continue to operate despite suffering operating losses.

He said the company also planned to operate a speedboat ferry service as it was cheaper and efficient.

“The speedboat idea was mooted three years ago. Travel time between the island and mainland on speedboats will only take eight to 10 minutes compared with 20 minutes using the ferry,” he told reporters at the launching of free tuition classes for 141 of the port’s staff members at Wisma Perkeso in Seberang Jaya yesterday.

PPSB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Finance Ministry after its corporatisation on Jan 1, 1994, has been incurring an annual loss of RM12mil operating the ferries. It also manages the port.

Mohd Niana said the company was losing about RM200 on each ferry trip, adding that the operating cost was RM600 while revenue collected was RM400.

He said the bridge would have three lanes on each side and a special motorcycle lane when the expansion work was completed.

“It will be able to accommodate the huge traffic volume and as such, we will be able to scrap the vehicular ferry services and reduce our losses,” he added.

In November last year, PPSB held talks with the ministry to take over the maintenance of ferry services. PPSB chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar said then that it had requested for fuel subsidy and buying of catamarans to complement the ferry services.

Ahmad also said the Government should emulate Hong Kong where the municipality handled maintenance while the port management focused only on giving better services to port users.

He had also said that PPSB had to fulfil its social responsibility and could not simply increase the ferry fares to recoup losses.

--THE STAR