PENANG will receive four new Vietnam-made ferries, and they will be operational from Aug 1, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
He made this announcement at a press conference after attending a meeting together with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and several stakeholders as well as heads of state government agencies and departments in Komtar today.
Loke led a delegation to Penang to discuss several issues, such as the Penang International Airport expansion project, George Town-Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transport, George Town-Butterworth LRT and Penang Bay.
However, on calls to bring back the iconic old ferries so that vehicles could be ferried as well, he said it would not be possible now because of changes made to the terminals to suit the current fleet of fast ferries.
The fast ferries cater only to foot passengers travelling from the island to the mainland and vice-versa.
The old ferries, which could transport both vehicles as well as passengers, were retired in 2021 due to high maintenance costs.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi