The Penang passenger ferry – the passenger-only fast-boat ferry service that replaced the beloved and iconic (but unreliable) Penang ferry – will remain free of charge for the whole of next year, ending December 31, 2022. The ferry service for pedestrians has been FOC since July this year.
This was announced by Penang’s state infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari at a press conference on Monday, reported by The Star.
“We have been offering the free services for pedestrians since July 2021 as a state initiative for Malaysians. This is supported by the Mutiara pass for unlimited bus rides in the state, which makes public transport in the state by land and sea completely free,” he said, adding that this initiative will cost the state government around RM78,000 a month for 65,000 tickets, with RM936,000 being the full allocation.
“We will now extend this funding for the whole of next year. This means all Malaysians of any age can use the ferry for free when traveling to and from the island by foot. All one has to do is bring their identity card (MyKad) along when getting on the ferry to get a free ticket,” the Tanjong Bunga state assemblyman added.
Penang Port Commission chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said that response for the fast-boat ferry service has been good. “The services that began this year have seen a good response due to the quick trips and time saved traveling to and from the mainland. So far, there have been no delays and it has been well received,” he said.
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