GEORGE TOWN – One of Penang’s most enduring icons will be laid to rest by December 31 when the famous car-carrying ferry service across the channel is halted completely after a century.
Officials with Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) told The Vibes that the service will be replaced with smaller ferries, meant only for passengers on foot and motorcycles.
These new ferries, which are specially commissioned, are expected to arrive in 18 months.
In the meantime, PPSB will use catamarans for foot passengers, plying between the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal on the island and the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Hamid ferry terminal in Butterworth.
The Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal on the island, presently used by the ferries, will be in operation again once the new ferries arrive and are put in service.
In Butterworth, the catamarans arrive and depart from a pontoon off the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Hamid ferry terminal.
The pontoon will be leased at a cost of RM35,000 per month.
“PPSB has hired two catamaran units from a ferry operator in Langkawi, which will ply between George Town and Butterwort in 20-minute intervals,” an official said.
The officials revealed that they have no choice but to bring in the catamarans as the existing ferries belong to national public transport services company Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.
“The ferries are the assets of Prasarana and not PPSB. The agreement both parties signed stipulated that the ferries are the assets of Prasarana, and PPSB has to hire them from Prasarana,” an official said.
It is believed that arrangements are being made for PPSB to take over the ferry operations from Rapid Ferry on January 1. They are also waiting for the Penang Port Commission (PPC) to issue the marine licence to start the catamarans’ operations.
Currently, only two car-carrying ferries – Pulau Talang-Talang and Pulau Angsa – are in operation, possibly due to improper scheduled maintenance after Prasarana took over from PPSB in 2018.
Among the other ferries in the fleet, Pulau Payar had to be stopped due to a main engine breakdown and Pulau Kapas broke down due to poor oil pressure maintenance.
Pulau Undan also developed main engine breakdown due to its turbo-coupling cracking before it could dock.
Pulau Pinang's overhaul process was incomplete as its engine parts were dismantled and not reassembled, leaving it abandoned at the dock.
Prasarana owes RM7 million to PPSB, which includes wages of staff seconded to them.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had told the Dewan Rakyat that 200,000 motor vehicles and 1.2 million foot pedestrians use the service every year..
As such, he said, a pedestrian-only catamaran will be enough to meet demand, while the two bridges are seen as adequate for vehicular traffic.
Last week, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had urged the federal government to maintain the ferry service as it is an icon of the state and conveniently serves the people on both the island and mainland travelling between the two sides.
The present fleet began operations in 1957. Penang Port, with origins in late 18th century, is one of the oldest ports in the region.
Attempts have been made to reach PPC chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng and PPSB chief executive officer V. Sasedharan for comments. – The Vibes, December 14, 2020
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