| Public Transportation Initiative |
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| Apart from road building, improving public transportation is an integral part of the State Government’s multi-pronged strategy to meet the increased travel demands of the people of Penang and in planning for the State’s progress. |
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| Shuttle Bus |
| Commenced operation in August 2001, this free service within the city center of
George Town is widely used by the locals and is popular with the tourists. Presently
runs to its full capacity during peak hours. It was introduced with the aim of
relieving congestion in the city center and to promote public transport usage. The
Shuttle Bus service will act as a launch pad for further improvements to public
transport such as the ‘Park & Ride’ system. |
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| Express Bus Terminal at Pesta Site |
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The construction of this terminal is progressing well and is expected to be operational in September 2004. With its completion, the operation of the existing express bus stations distributed throughout the state will be centralized. This will not only ease congestion but also relieve safety concerns around existing stations. Artist’s impression of the terminal is shown on the left. |
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| Light Monorail System |
Relentless effort by the State Government in convincing the Federal Government of the need for a monorail system in Penang has finally paid off.
Negotiations are underway with the Federal Government to install a hybrid system in 2 phases as shown on the diagram beside. Construction is expected to commence by the end of 2004 and completed in 2007. |
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| Public Buses Merger Consortium |
| This initiative has been revived with a local bus company leading the set up with the State Government’s blessings. Fundamentally, the role of the consortium will be to
reorganize the service by coordinating and rescheduling the routes. Profit can be enhanced by reducing duplication and overlap of service whereby it will enable bus
services to be extended to ‘social’(non-profitable) routes. The objective is to provide an efficient, reliable, comfortable and safe bus service with an optimal fare structure.
The State Government has set 2005 as the target to fully set up this consortium and the Federal Government’s support, namely the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development
is needed to realize this goal. |
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| Integrated Transport Terminal and ‘Park & Ride Stations’ |
| Government land in several parts of Penang has been identified and reserved for this purpose. An integrated transport terminal is being planned within Komtar Phase 5 grounds.
A piece of government land has also been set aside for a major ‘Park & Ride’ station at Gat Lebuh Noordin to complement the proposed integrated transport terminal at Komtar and to serve as a future people’s mover link to the mainland.
Other ‘Park & Ride’ stations will be provided at main entry points to George Town i.e. at Air Hitam, Tanjung Tokong and Gelugor which will be served by various public transport modes including the light monorail system. The government envisages a seamless travel for commuters in the future. |
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