Penang Port warns of discontinuing ferry services

The newspapers are giving coverage to this news item. Penang Port is warning that they will discontinue the vehicular ferry services once the Penang Bridge expansion project is completed. This may mean Year 2010.

But should the vehicular services be stopped? Right now, Penang Port claims that they are losing money on ferrying cars and motor-cycles across the channel. So they want to concentrate only on the foot passengers by providing a quick hydrofoil service.

In the meantime, here’s now the New Sunday Times reported the news today:

Penang ferry to end once bridge is expanded

BUTTERWORTH: The famous Penang ferry will be history once the Penang Bridge is expanded.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) said it was planning to discontinue its ferry service once the expansion work on the Penang Bridge is completed next year.

“We are not keen to operate the vehicular ferries as the operating costs have gone up tremendously,” said PPSB chief operating officer Mohd Niana Merican Abd Kadir Merican yesterday.

While vehicles will use the expanded Penang Bridge, Niana said speed boats would be introduced to ferry people across the channel.

Besides being cost-effective, the speed boats can reduce the travelling time from 20 minutes to between eight and 10 minutes.

Costs was the main reason why the company does not want to continue with the ferry services, said Naina.”We not only suffer losses but have to subside a large amount of money to operate the services.”Niana said the cost for each trip for a vehicular ferry was RM600 while the revenue was only RM400.However, PPSB does not plan to discontinue the ferry immediately, Niana said after attending an event organised for 141 children of the PPSB staff at Wisma Perkeso at Seberang Jaya here yesterday.”We are obliged to operate the vehicular ferries currently otherwise it will affect the people badly.”

The extension work on the Penang Bridge is expected to be completed in August next year.

“We believe the Penang Bridge will be able to handle the volume of traffic after its expansion project is completed.”

Presently nine ferries ply daily between the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim on the mainland and Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda on the island.

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