Opening of Butterworth bus terminal postponed

Staronline
Monday April 14, 2008
By DERRICK VINESH

THE opening of the RM5mil temporary bus terminal in Butterworth has been deferred to July.
Penang Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said although the terminal was ready last month, the developer needed three months to complete a temporary hawker centre nearby.

The centre, to be occupied by about 60 stalls, will be located opposite the terminal mainly to cater to the needs of the bus commuters.

“We hope there will be no further delay because the public and the bus operators have waited patiently for eight years for the new terminal to be operational,” he said after visiting the terminal in Jalan Pantai in Butter-worth recently.

Better facility: A general view of hte RM5mil temporary bus terminal.
Lim said both express buses and local buses, including Rapid Penang buses, would utilise the 28 parking bays at the terminal.

“The bays should be enough as we anticipate fewer than 20 buses using the terminal at any given time.

“Also, each bus will be allowed to park for up to 15 minutes only,” he said.

Lim said work on the RM2bil Penang Sentral transportation and logistics hub could begin once the new terminal started operations.

The project’s first phase, which involves the construction of a permanent bus and taxi terminals with access to the railway station and ferry terminal, he said, would be ready by July 2011.

“Penang Sentral’s developers have pro-mised to give me a copy of the project’s master plan next month.

“I am confident that the project will materialise, as it is part of the Federal Government’s Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) initiative,” he said.

The former bus terminal, sited at the Penang Port Commission (PPC) Complex, could not be used after fire razed the complex in May 2001.

Fruit seller Mohd Sulaiman Ray Abdullah, 31, said proper toilet facilities were badly needed at the terminal, noting that presently commuters had to travel a distance to use the one in the railway station.

“It has been very inconvenient trading temporarily by the five-foot way. We hope the hawker centre will be built soon,” he said.