PENANG'S ferry service recorded an annual loss of about RM14 million a year, due to a lack of diesel subsidies, apart from maintenance and insurance costs.
Penang Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari told the state that ticket collections for the ferry only covered about 35 per cent of the operations.
He was responding to a question by Teh Lai Heng (PH-Komtar), who had asked for ferry use statistics and whether operators were making losses.
According to Zairil, between January and October 2024, a total of 1.76 million passengers used the ferry service while 600,000 two-wheeled vehicles used the service.
Each trip costs RM2 for adult pedestrians and RM1 for children. Commuters on bicycles pay RM2 while those on motorcycles pay RM2.50.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd introduced four new fast ferries last year to ply the route between the island and Butterworth on the mainland, replacing the iconic ferries. - November 25, 2024
