GEORGE TOWN, June 27 – Rapid Penang will finally get its long-awaited 200 new buses in stages in the next two years.
This was revealed in a written reply by the Finance Ministry to a question submitted by Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik.
Ng said in a press statement today that the ministry had promised 80 new buses will start plying the routes in Penang by the fourth quarter of this year.
“The remaining 120 buses are expected to arrive next year,” he said.
Rapid Penang is operated by Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd which is a subsidiary of Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad.
Prasarana Negara is wholly owned by the Finance Ministry.
The promise of the 200 new buses for Rapid Penang was made back in 2008 but the buses never materialised despite the Penang state government’s repeated demand for the ministry to fulfil its promises.
Ng had also asked why the ministry had rejected the Penang state government’s offer to pay RM10 million to Rapid Penang to provide free bus service throughout the whole state during peak hours.
In its reply, the ministry said Prasarana Negara will hold further discussions on this with the Penang state government next month.
The ministry also gave reassurances that Penang will be given due attention in its efforts to improve public transportation in the state especially the public bus service.
It also states that it is aware of the need to improve the public transportation system in all states and that the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) is implementing plans to do just that through a comprehensive strategic plan which is the National Land Public Transport Framework.
