Passengers on Penang’s new ferry service will now be required to pay a fare of RM2 per journey, which will be applicable for both legs of the ride from the island to the mainland and vice versa.
Under the previous service, pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicles were charged a fare of RM1.20, only payable on the mainland side. However, with the new system, passengers will be charged a total fare of RM4 for a return trip, as opposed to RM1.20 previously.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) announced on Wednesday (Sept 6) that the new fares will come into effect on Thursday (Sept 7).
Commuters will now have to pay a RM2 fare for the journey from Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim on the mainland to Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda on the island, and another RM2 for the return trip.
Under the old ferry system, travellers only paid RM1.20 on the mainland side, which is no longer applicable as the old ferries have been decommissioned.
The new fares for adults will be RM2 per trip, children below 12 years old will be charged RM1, bicycles will be charged RM2, and motorcycles will be charged RM2.50.
PPSB announced that monthly passes, available only to Malaysians, will be offered at a 50% discount until the end of this year, and a 30% discount from Jan 1, 2024 onwards.
Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan, the CEO of PPSB, stated that the new rates needed to be implemented due to the more efficient and convenient new ferries, as well as upgraded terminal facilities on both sides. He added that RM100 million was invested in the new ferries and terminal upgrades, making it impractical to maintain the old rates.
Meanwhile, Sasedharan revealed that during the one-month free ride period, 320,000 passengers utilized the ferry service, which is three times the expected figure of 100,000 per month with the new fare system.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
