Starting from April 8, individuals with disabilities (OKU) in George Town will have the opportunity to ride the Penang Ferry service for free.
To be eligible for this privilege, OKU must pre-register at the counters located in Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda on the island or Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim on the mainland. They are required to bring along their MyKad and OKU cards issued by the Social Welfare Department for verification purposes.
Upon successful registration, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists will have their fares waived by simply using their MyKad.
Currently, the fee for OKU individuals is RM1 for pedestrians, RM2 for cyclists, and RM2.50 for motorcyclists.
Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin, chairman of the Penang Port Commission (PPC), mentioned that both the PPC and Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) have come to an agreement to support individuals with disabilities in utilizing the ferry service.
“Once registered, OKU individuals will have the opportunity to enjoy free and unlimited ferry rides between both terminals,” he stated during the announcement at Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda on Monday (April 1).
This unlimited offering is expected to alleviate the financial burden of transportation for OKU individuals and also to encourage them to make use of this service,” he added.
Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan, chief executive officer of PPSB, highlighted that, on average, 140 trips are made by OKU individuals on a daily basis.
Also in attendance during the announcement were Dr. V. Vijayaindiaran, general manager of PPC, and Datuk Syed Mohamad Aidid Syed Murtaza, chairman of PPSB.
