GEORGE TOWN – Operators of the two Penang bridges and the cross-channel ferry service should merge into a consortium to ensure cost efficiency and better management, said a Penang PKR leader.
Presently all three are owned and operated by three entities, and instead of complementing each other, they are in competition for fares, said Penang PKR vice-chairman Jason Ong Khan Lee today.
The ferry service is now operated by port operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd while the first bridge’s concession holder and operator is PLUS Expressways Bhd.
The second bridge is owned and operated by a special purpose vehicle – Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB).
He told The Vibes that as a result, the cross-channel ferry service is running losses of up to RM30 million annually whereas Penang Bridge has secured a good traffic flow compared to the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge (Second Penang Bridge), which has lower than anticipated traffic numbers.
“We need to bring all three into one umbrella consortium, which will learn how to complement each other instead of competing, especially in an age where there is a trend to work from home and have staycations due to the pandemic.
“Also, top technocrats need to be engaged to spearhead the consortium to ensure that it returns a reasonable profit to the coffers of both the state and federal governments.”
He said the emphasis has been wrong on the end of the federal government, who allowed three entities to own and operate the facilities.
“Surely, all three will compete and the weakest one will suffer.”
He added that if the entities are merged, there is no need to terminate the double-decker ferries due to escalating costs and lower traffic numbers.
PKR senator Yusmadi Yusoff said the federal and state governments got it wrong with the closure of the double-decker ferries.
“They should look at the ferry from its historical standpoint as it is synonymous with Penang. It is a source of national pride, heritage, and culture.”
Hence, the authorities have got it wrong by going ahead to decommission the ferries in favour of the present speedboat ferries, eventually water buses and transporters by 2022, which will ferry only cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians, he said.
Meanwhile, it was a smooth day for the foot passengers, who for the first time in 61 years boarded at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal on the island.
In the past, they utilised the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal on the island.
Rows of passengers were seen disembarking from the pier terminal, which in the past was used by cruise passengers. – The Vibes, January 1, 2021
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