Guan Eng: Govt plans to restore iconic ferry service in Penang
GEORGE TOWN, July 3 — DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng has vowed to bring back the iconic ferry service in Penang, especially for vehicles.
The Bagan MP said even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has agreed to restore the old ferries.
"If we want to restore the old iconic ferries, the operation costs will be more than RM30 million but now we are facing an even more complicated issue,” he said in a statement on his Facebook.
He said the previous federal administration had destroyed the ferry terminals that enabled the iconic ferries to berth.
"Now, even if we restored the old ferries, there is no terminal for it to berth,” he said.
So, he said the government could not immediately restore the ferry services.
He said this meant that a new ferry terminal needed to be built to bring back ferries that could transport vehicles.
"The unity government is now mulling over this due to the huge costs involved,” he said.
The iconic car-carrying ferries were retired on January 1 back in 2021 while the single remaining ferry that ply the Penang channel to carry motorcycles and bicycles stopped this year.
Passengers who are on foot will have to take fast boats from the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal.
New ferries for foot passengers are also expected to start next month.
