Ferry Terminal

The road leading to the ferry terminal.

The ferry terminal in Butterworth is known as Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal.

Penang Ferry is an identity by itself. The ferries are used to ferry passengers and vehicles from the mainland to Penang Island. When the Penang Bridge was built in the 80's, the business of the ferry services were greatly affected.

The first ferry terminal was at the town centre in Bagan. It was shifted to the present site during the 60's. The present ferry terminal was previously for ferrying vehicles. However, on 31 Jul, 1988 the passenger ferry terminal bridge (built with steel) collapsed causing 32 death and injured 1,674 people. The high number of casualties was due to the over crowding during the double festivals celebration - St Annes Fest and Kuan Yin's float procession.

Subsequently, passengers and vehicles share the same terminal built on concrete.

In this photo, you can see the Deep Sea Wharf just south of the ferry terminal.

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Source : The Star

Thursday December 20, 2007

Penang ferry service in a sorry state
I HAVE been using the ferry between Penang island and the mainland for over 20 years. Lately, I find the ferry service pathetic.

Some of the ferries are in bad shape, and during heavy rain there are leakages everywhere, life jackets are drenched and the floor and passenger seats are left to drain-out naturally.
Most of the ferry crew hands are indisciplined; they can be seen yelling, smoking and talking on the handphone while working.

There are always bottle-necks at the junction of the ferry terminal on the island due to lack of supervision.

The situation becomes worse when the service road is crowded with vehicles going in and out of the new PPSB inner-city mariner’s club, which is next to the ferry terminal.
And there is havoc when vehicles coming out from the ferries are blocked by slow-moving cars and there is queue-jumping. The mess worsens when public buses enter the junction at the same time.

I made a few attempts to point out the problems to the authorities but sadly got the run-around and some rude answers as well.

Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) have cited losses in keeping the aging ferries going. But, the management has to consider the plight of paying commuters and their safety, too.
Corporate social responsibility does not mean giving back to society only after making huge profits.

REGULAR COMMUTER,

Butterworth, Penang.

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Source : The Star

Wednesday December 19, 2007

Ferry terminal at Butterworth a sorry sight

I AM one of those who do not regularly walk onto the Butterworth-Penang ferry since I drive my car into the ferry most of the time.

Recently, when I took the ferry back to Penang as a walk-on passenger, I was shocked to see the facilities at the Butterworth side of the terminal.

The numerous food shops were filthy and the smell from the rubbish and clogged water at the back of these shops was unbearable. This is not a good sight for visitors to Penang island, both local and overseas.

The system for express bus passengers is also not proper. It is a distance from the drop-off point to the terminal, where one has to take an escalator to the ticket counter situated two stories up.
On that day, the escalator going up was not working, and my children and I had to climb the stairs with two big suitcases. It was sad to see some senior citizens struggling up those steep stairs.

When we reached the ticket counter, we informed the PPC staff that the escalator was not functioning. To my surprise, I was told that this had been known to the management for some time. The poor staff would probably have received thousands of complaints on the escalators from ferry users daily.

The management and the chairman of PPC, should, like me, leave their chauffeur-driven cars and take the ferry on foot to see the difficulties faced by passengers.
Malaysia Incorporated doesn’t mean only making money but also showing interest in the welfare of the consumers or customers.

NOOR LATIFAH HAMID,
Penang.

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Saturday July 19, 2008 MYT 4:02:25 PM
Penang ferries to operate round the clock on weekends

Staronline
By YENG AI CHUN

BUTTERWORTH: The Penang ferry service, now operating from 6am to midnight, might soon be extended round the clock on weekends and public holidays, said Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

He said he had told Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar about the matter.

“I have noticed that there is a big traffic jam going to Butterworth because the Penang Bridge has closed one lane to upgrade the bridge, which is a good thing. But we need to come up with a way to solve this problem.

“I’ve suggested to Ahmad that for this time period, ferry services should be opened round the clock on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays,” he said Saturday after launching the Penang Sentral temporary bus terminal here.

He said Ahmad has promised to look into the suggestion.
“The service (after 12.30am) does not need to be every 15 or 20 minutes but it could be every half hour or 45 minutes,” he stated.

Nor Mohamed also announced that the project to upgrade the Penang Hill’s funicular service has been reinstated into the Ninth Malaysia Plan (RM9).

“It is such a valuable heritage and I have been told that when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was a young child in Alor Star, he and his father used to take the train during school holidays.

“The train service evokes strong feelings for everybody, for all of us Penangnites,” he said, adding that he and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had made a plea on separate occasions to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi to reinstate the RM40mil project.

Nor Mohamed was also asked if UEM Builders Berhad might not be constructing the land part of the second Penang bridge as agreed earlier because the contract has been awarded to another company.

“I am not aware of this. It does not come under the Ministry of Finance. I am not aware of the matter,” he replied.