EVER since the iconic heritage ferries of Penang were decommissioned in January 2021, there has been a hankering among the public for the authorities to bring back the service and even expand it to cater for tourism.
Nearly three years on, Penang Port Sdn Bhd is set to begin its first-ever “sunset cruise” featuring one of its spanking new air-conditioned modern catamaran ferries that are used for carrying commuters between George Town on the island and Butterworth on the mainland.
The cruise along a stretch of the Penang Channel is expected to be a welcome new addition to the myriad tourism attractions of the state.
The leisure service will commence on December 16.
It will feature an idyllic and even romantic slow cruise from the Raja Uda ferry terminal in George Town to the first Penang Bridge, and back.
PPSB chief executive officer Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan said the cruise will operate on weekends, starting at 5pm and ending two hours later.
There can be expansion of the service if there is ample demand, he said during a special media tour along the route today.
PPSB had purchased four modern catamarans to replace the now disused age-old double-decker ferries that have been hailed as icons of Penang for decades.
Of the four, three are devoted to the daily cross-channel plying for foot passengers and motorcyclists.
The fourth one will be used for the sunset cruise service.
Sasedharan said that the ferry can take up to 100 passengers who can enjoy the panoramic scenery and a buffet dinner treat.
The passengers will disembark from the waiting hall at the island terminal and a special section will be created for them.
The service can run even if it rains unless the weather turns especially torrid, he said.
He emphasised that the cruise will be a boon for tourism and promises multiplier effects for the travel trade industry.
The new fleet of four ferries – costing RM80 million – have been in operation since August 7.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, during the launch, had expressed the idea that one of them could be leased for tourism purposes and even be chartered to take tourists around the island.
He had also said that the Penang Port Commission, the port’s regulatory authority, was willing to work with tour companies to convert the older iconic double-decker ferries into attractions for tourists.
For more information, contact the operator AAP Sea Queen Restaurant at 019-4020299. – The Vibes, December 8, 2023.
