Consider pedestrians and cyclists on Penang’s ferry, too
BEGINNING late night Dec 31 (in the early hours of Jan 1), motorcyclists using the two Penang bridges need not pay tolls anymore.
Ever since the news was announced recently, motorcyclists have been eagerly looking forward to a very meaningful 2019.
As much as I am happy for them, I can’t help but note how the government has overlooked pedestrians and cyclists who use the ferry to cross between Butterworth on the mainland and the island.
A while back the letter, “Penang ferry services should be free”, pointed out why those walking and cycling should be allowed to travel for free on the ferry:
> In Butterworth, to increase convenience by reducing the hassle of paying, especially for foreign tourists arriving from Thailand and Singapore.
> In George Town, to promote the discovery of Malaysia’s living museum of a city on foot and by bicycle instead of by cars, as there’s only so much the Unesco World Heritage Site’s narrow streets and limited parking space can accommodate.
> And symbolically, the free crossings are supposed to be a token of unity between the island and the mainland of Penang, a state that’s often mistaken for being only the former.
The Penang Bridge(s) toll-free crossings for motorcycles was part of Barisan Nasional’s manifesto. Pakatan Harapan moved to totally abolish the toll for all vehicles.
If it’s OK for motorcycles to cross for free, then why it is not OK for pedestrians and cyclists?
It is said by not collecting tolls from the motorcyclists, the government has thought of the low income group. But the ferry pedestrians and cyclists aren’t very different. Among them could be people who cannot even afford to own a motorcycle.
In fact, the passengers on foot also include people with special needs, and even they are charged 60 sen!
So are we seriously going to have a situation where a high powered superbike can cross for free but a disabled person still needs to pay 60 sen? Are we really not able to avoid such a bizarre scenario?
To RapidFerry, please don’t depend on those walking and cycling to make the ferry service profitable.
To the visionary PH federal and state governments, please don’t turn a blind eye to those using the ferry.
Just as how a great man shows his greatness by how he treats those less fortunate, so should a great government do likewise.
The state government has a wonderful “I Love Penang” initiative that has resulted in, among others, the free Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT) Rapid Penang bus services all over the state.
The highly cherished campaign could have included the free crossings on the ferries too, since it’s easier now with the operator being RapidFerry, which, like Rapid Penang, is under Prasarana Malaysia Berhad.
The real respect and power of PH will be measured in the size of the smile of ferry pedestrians and cyclists when their crossings become free even though they were not thought of in the manifesto.
With the clock ticking, please give us superb news as soon as possible because pedestrians and cyclists so much more deserve to cross free first, before the motorcyclists do.