GEORGE TOWN – There is a growing call among non-governmental organisations, as well as a former MP, to revive the iconic ferries to arrest the torrid traffic congestion on the island here.
Lending his voice to the issue is former Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun, who said that DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng had promised to revive the iconic vehicular ferries if Pakatan Harapan came into power during the recently concluded general election.
“Well, the people have done their part. Now it is on Lim or the DAP-led state government to do something to address the worsening traffic congestion here.
“There have been daily pockets of traffic jams all over Penang for the past 15 years. DAP has witnessed it without doing anything concrete other than to pursue an ambitious Penang Transport Master Plan, which has yet to take off,” he said.
Speaking to The Vibes, Ooi said Penangites need something concrete done now.
“The ferries can ease congestion at the bridge, but they should ferry vehicles too besides pedestrians, mopeds, or cyclists.
“Particularly, if the ferries can transport heavy vehicles, it would be better to expedite traffic flow out of the two bridges,'” he said.
He added that the Weld Quay area also needs to be revamped to incorporate the new traffic flow if the ferries return.
Penang Forum executive committee member Lim Mah Hui urged the state to forget grandeur projects now, as cost conservation is needed due to global economic hiccups.
“Bring back the vehicular ferries. If not the iconic models, then at least ones that can carry vehicles and do it effectively by providing good public bus connectivity.”
Mah Hui said that the transport master plan needs to be reviewed by providing cheaper alternatives instead of resorting to land reclamation to underwrite the costs.
Former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor also reminded the authorities that providing smooth traffic flow is the required duty and service of the government of the day.
“The authorities should not just be obsessed with the cost. It is about providing a service, and the ferries can help alleviate the congestion. If people cannot get to work on time, they would naturally blame the authorities.
“Something needs to be done now,” he said.
He said almost the entire population of Butterworth has to use the bridge to commute to work on the island, and are affected by the constant congestion, made worse when tourists come over during school holidays.
While he lauded the water taxi service proposal, Fareed said that it only moves pedestrians, and the state needs to ease the congestion of vehicles.
State executive councillor in charge of infrastructure Zairil Khir Johari could not be reached for comment, but a spokesman for Penang Port Sdn Bhd, the operator of the current ferries which only transport pedestrians and motorcyclists, said that if the authorities can finance the cost, the revival of vehicular ferries can be considered.
Past studies have shown that ferry operations off the port have incurred huge losses, the spokesman pointed out, citing that two months ago, even the operator of the iconic Star ferries at Hong Kong considered shutting down services after operating for 142 years..
“To revive Penang’s iconic ferries is steep in terms of the cost. We are looking at over RM1 million to restart one ferry and to upgrade the supporting amenities.”
The spokesman also said that the port can consider the new roll-on and roll-off ferries, which currently operate out of Kuala Perlis and Langkawi. – The Vibes, December 14, 2022
