The Penang state government has finally decided to set up a Public Transportation Advisory and Consultation Panel.

The panel will be a mechanism to accumulate feedback and make recommendations to the state government to upgrade Penang's poor public transport system.

Speaking at a press conference, Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the panel will consist of representatives from both government and non-government organisations.

"The panel will function as a state mechanism to improve the public transport system," he said.

Penang's Citizens Coalition for Public Transport (Cepat), which comprises 25 NGOs in the state, has long called on the state government to set up the panel.

Cepat believes the public's direct participation through the panel in providing feedback and recommendations will be an effective tool to achieve the objective of improving the public transport system.

Independent commission

In an immediate response, Cepat spokesperson BK Ong said the state government should outline the role and power of the panel to assure that it does not become another toothless government branch.

He suggested that the panel should be an independent commission appointed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

"Only then the panel would be effective and decisive in collecting feedback and making proposals to improve the state's miserable public transport system," he told malaysiakini.

Koh's press conference was held to officially announce the arrival of RapidPenang, a subsidiary of the Klang Valley-based bus operator RapidKL, as a bus service provider in the island beginning this August.

RapidKL is under Prasarana Negara Bhd, an investment arm of the Finance Mnistry.

RapidPenang will deploy 150 new buses, bought for RM31 million, to ply both main and supporting routes on the island to complement existing bus operators.

At present several bus companies such as KGN-Hin, Milan, Transit Link, United Transport Company and minibuses, have about 200 stage and mini buses operating in the state.

RapidPenang will also ply a link bus service between the island and the mainland.
It will start its Penang operation with a RM5 million paid up capital and an interest- free RM20 million federal loan.

A five-member board, with Abdul Rahim Muhti from RapidKL as chairperson, is expected to spearhead the RapidPenang operation.

The other members are Datuk Keramat state assembylperson Ong Thean Lye, state economy planning unit (Upen) director Abu Hassan Shaari, RapidKL chief operations officer Mohd Ali Mohd Nor and Mohd Azhari Arshad from the Finance Ministry.

Right direction

With the introduction of RapidPenang, Koh said Penang will be the first state outside the Klang Valley region to operate a public bus system as a government initiative.

He said RapidPenang will provide a bus service to cater for the needs of senior citizens and disabled persons, and ply both the popular and less profitable routes on the island.

He believes that for a bus service to be effective, reliable and affordable to all, it needs government subsidies.

"RapidPenang is the best solution to resolve Penang's public bus woes," he said.

He said RapidPenang has the experience, expertise and proven track record in operating an efficient and reliable public bus network in the Klang Valley.

The state government will work closely with RapidPenang to set up an amalgamated public transport system that will integrate the bus, taxi and ferry services and an imminent monorail system.

Meanwhile, Yayasan Amanah Hartanah Bumiputera, a subsidiary of Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Bhd, will reconstruct the razed bus terminal complex in Butterworth.

The complex, located near the ferry terminal and railway station, was destroyed in a fire more than 10 years ago.

Owned by Penang Port Sdn Bhd, the complex, which was a centralised terminal for all mainland-based stage and express buses, was left idle and buses moved their operations to a nearby open space.

Yayasan will spend RM100 million for the first phase of the complex reconstruction project.

With the setting up of the panel, reconstruction of the Butterworth bus complex and introduction of RapidPenang, Koh is optimistic that the state bus transport network is heading in the right direction to provide a quality service to all.

"We are confident the state public transport woes would be resolved soon," he said.