AS the year-end festivities and holiday season approaches, the allure of Penang as a tourist hotspot is expected to see a swarm of visitors.
Following the positive response to the free shuttle service from Komtar to Penang Hill, which was introduced during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays in April, Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) and Rapid Penang are again bringing back the service this month.
The complimentary shuttle service will be operational from Dec 23 this year to Jan 1, 2024, spanning 10 days.
It will run from 9am to 9pm, with eight daily trips in both directions, at intervals of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Passengers can board the shuttle at the bus stop on Jalan Ria to the Penang Hill Lower Station and vice versa. The timetable can be found on PHC’s official website and social media platforms.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the primary objective of this service is to alleviate the traffic congestion issues that often plague Penang Hill during peak seasons, particularly during the upcoming school holidays.
“As we approach the year-end school holidays, we are aware of the increased interest in visiting Penang Hill, a place of natural beauty, cultural significance, and historical importance.
“However, this surge in visitors comes with its own set of challenges, most notably, traffic congestion, limited parking, and the environmental impact of increased vehicular activity.
“In this context, the Penang Hill free shuttle service assumes paramount importance,” Wong said during the press conference inside the Rapid Penang bus at Jalan Ria today.
Joining Wong at the press conference were Air Putih assemblyman Lim Guan Eng, Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, and PHC general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng.
Additionally, should the shuttle bus reach maximum capacity, visitors are encouraged to take the existing Rapid bus number 204 regularly to Penang Hill.
Alternatively, they can also use GrabCar with the promo code ‘GRAB2PGHILL’, which is valued at RM5 each and allows a maximum of two redemptions per user.
In a related development, Wong revealed that as of Nov 26 this year, a total of 1.45 million passengers had boarded the funicular train compared to 1.28 million in 2023.
“This is indeed a commendable achievement. The top five nationalities that have visited the Penang Hill are China, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and India,” he added.
Earlier, Lim, Syerleena, and Cheok experienced the shuttle service firsthand as they were taken on a trip to the Penang Hill Lower Station on the bus.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Law Suun Ting