Not again! The privatised Penang Port Sdn Bhd couldn’t care less about the long-suffering commuters who use the ferry every day. Now, it wants to further reduce the number of ferries and slash operating hours, presumably so that it can concentrate on more lucrative activities elsewhere.
It plans to reduce the ferries in operation from four to three from 1 January 2016. It is a far cry from the dozen or so ferries that use to cross the channel in the 1970s and 1980s.
The operating hours will also be slashed. From 1 January 2016, the last ferry from the island will leave at 11.30pm instead of 1am.
The excuse given is that there has been a decline in the number of vehicles using the ferries. That is a pathetic reason. The reason there has been a decline is that the ferry service is utterly deplorable these days. So commuters have to use the bridge which in turn clogs up the roads leading to the bridge.
Who cares about the long-suffering commuters now who have to wait endlessly with this skeleton service? As long as Penang Port can improve its bottom-line that is all it cares.
This is exactly what happens when you privatise an essential public service. If it doesn’t ‘make money’, it is slashed, to hell with the public.
What does the transport minister have to say about this shameful state of affairs? If he can’t see to it that Penang has an efficient ferry service, he should just resign. Who was responsible for this stupid privatisation to a firm who can look no further than its bottom-line? Why not just close down the ferry service altogether and make even more profits!
This seems
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I had the opportunity to use the ferry over the weekend. First was to catch the Ekspres Rakyat train from Butterworth to KL which departs at 8 am. Reached the ferry terminal (Penang Island side at 6.30 am. It was a 30 min wait for the ferry. On the return trip on the following day, had to rush from the train station to ferry terminal, as I did not want to miss the ferry. Was lucky, just in time. With Rapid Penang being very reliable and with KTM taking efforts to improve its services. The weekend experience with KTM was… Read more »
Might as well just sink the remaining ferries so that marine life can make homes out of them.
Or just donate them to entrepreneurs who could improvise them for recreational & dining purposes.
Or just ask Soiled Ah Lek how to turn 3 ferries for secret extra-marital affair rendezvous cum round island trip.
Totally shameful. They should have the decency to pass the management of the port to the state government but that would be wishful thinking, won’t it? LGE will turn it around the way and eggs will be splattered on the BN face.
Is this just another way of inconveniencing the people of Penang or is it because the Port commission is run
by a group of dim wits!!!!!!
They just want to cut the losses arising from a poor and inefficient service by cutting the number of ferries. Easy way out.
Utter disgusting !
Federal Gomen privatisation fails miserably ! Pemandu Idris Jala if cannot turnaround Penang Port then let capable folks with social conscience to run the iconic ferries !!!!!
Is his the last contribution from Chua Soi Lek as his term as the chairman of Penang Port has ended?