GEORGE TOWN, July 4 — The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has allocated RM900,000 annually for the free Central Area Transit (CAT) shuttle bus service linking Komtar with Penang Hospital (HPP), three private hospitals and several healthcare facilities in the city centre.

MBPP Engineering Director Cheah Chin Kooi said the service aims to encourage greater use of public transport, reduce reliance on private vehicles, and help ease traffic congestion and parking shortages around the hospital area.

Cheah said the service, which began operating on Jan 1, has received an encouraging response, with daily ridership nearly doubling from about 300 passengers initially to around 600 currently.

“The eight-kilometre route is served by three Rapid Penang buses operating daily from 6 am to 8 pm, making 36 trips at 20-minute intervals,” he told reporters after inspecting the service and riding one of the buses here today.

Also present were Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd Northern Region head Mohd Amir Abd Halim, HPP director Dr Goh Hin Kwang and Penang Women's Development Corporation chief executive officer Datuk Ong Bee Leng.

Cheah said the service was introduced following an MBPP survey conducted after HPP's expansion project highlighted the need for additional public transport due to parking constraints in the area, and was designed to provide patients, senior citizens and caregivers with easier, safer and free access to healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, Dr Goh said HPP had upgraded the pedestrian walkway along Jalan Residensi, while works were under way to improve the main entrance on Jalan Utama to facilitate access to the bus service. — Bernama