Penang Sentral to open by year-end
> New terminal to provide better public transport facilities in the state
BUTTERWORTH: Phase one of Penang Sentral, a new transit oriented development project is expected to be opened to the public by December.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the first phase of Penang Sentral would serve as the terminal for both public and intercity buses and is physically connected to the adjacent Butterworth railway station and the Penang Ferry Terminal.
“This is another step forward for public transport in the country. Penang Sentral is an integral part of connectivity between bus, rail and ferry.
“We are very happy to know that Penang Sentral will be ready soon and this will usher in a new era of public transport in Penang and the northern region,” he told reporters after visiting Penang Sentral, here yesterday.
Penang Sentral, modelled after KL Sentral CBD in Kuala Lumpur, consists of a five-storey building to accommodate bus ticket counters, 38 bus bays, 577 parking bays, 55 retail shops, as well as a food court.
Chow said with the integrated public transport hub in Penang, he hoped the parties concerned could improve the ferry and rail services.
“For us I think the ferry service needs to be improved and there are also talks of introducing catamarans while the rail service can increase its frequency to Penang and the northern region can be further improved with commuter service from Butterworth to Alor Star as well as Butterworth to Kamunting to make public transport more accessible in the northern region,” he said.
Commenting on the skycab service, Chow said there are several locations proposed for the skycab stations and the holding company of Penang Sentral Sdn Bhd, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), will continue to fine tune its plans.
Meanwhile, MRCB chief operating officer (Property) Shireen Iqbal said the development component of Penang Sentral consists of seven phases and three phases are still under construction comprising retail mall, office tower and business hotel scheduled to be completed in 2030 while future phase will include serviced apartments, small office small home and commercial development.
She said the first phase of Penang Sentral, which comprises the transit hub, is completed and work is now on the process of testing, commissioning and integrating of all the bus system to make sure it’s fully prepared before being opened to the public. – Bernama