GEORGE TOWN – Penangites were treated to a preview of the new cross-channel ferries after a video and photographs of them were leaked online.
In response, ferry operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) chief executive officer Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan said the ferries are now at a shipyard in Haiphong, Vietnam.
“We decided to name all the ferries according to the bays in Penang,” he said, as one of them is called “Teluk Bahang”.
Speaking from Taiwan where he is attending a maritime conference, Sasedharan said the port operator will attempt to meet the expectations of commuters here.
The ferries will make their debut in July, plying the Penang channel connecting Weld Quay on the island and Butterworth on the mainland.
The original double-decker ferries were scrapped three years ago due to mounting losses incurred by PPSB.
Sasedharan said the four new ferries will be commissioned to serve the needs of passengers, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Meanwhile, several travel trade members here urged Penang Port to consider reusing the iconic double-decker ferries, which used to also carry vehicles.
They said the engines can be overhauled, so it is a matter of finding the right partners to restore the iconic double-decker ferries.
The ferries are more of a tourist attraction rather than the proposed hovercrafts, they added. – The Vibes, March 17, 2023
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