3 water buses coming in June, says Penang Port Commission
One of the water buses under construction in Vietnam. They will be ready for use by June next year. (Penang Port Commission pic)
GEORGE TOWN: The three Penang water buses being built by a Dutch shipyard in Vietnam are 40% complete, a federal regulator said.
These vessels are expected to be ready for use by June next year.
Penang Port Commission chairman Tan Teik Cheng, who visited the shipyard earlier this week, said these water buses would undergo a sea trial a month before being launched.
“The progress has been steady,” he said in a statement.
Shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Gorinchem BV of the Netherlands was appointed to build them after 36 companies participated in an open tender, he said.
The water buses are an upgrade of the iconic car-carrying Penang ferries, which ceased operations last year.
Port operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd had previously committed to spending RM34 million to acquire three water buses and two motorcycle transporters or lighters.
Another RM30 million was allocated for this purpose by the finance ministry.
The five vessels were supposed to arrive in the middle of this year.
The new vessels would increase the reliability of the cross-channel service and shorten travel time from about 20 minutes to 10 minutes, the operator had previously said.
The older ferries, nearly 40 years old, were too costly to maintain, they said.
The new water buses would fit 200 passengers at any one time while the lighters can each carry 100 motorcycles.
The water bus would have speeds of between 12 and 15 knots (22-27km/h) compared with the old ferries, which could travel at seven to eight knots, the operator had said.
GEORGE TOWN: The three Penang water buses being built by a Dutch shipyard in Vietnam are 40% complete, a federal regulator said.
These vessels are expected to be ready for use by June next year.
Penang Port Commission chairman Tan Teik Cheng, who visited the shipyard earlier this week, said these water buses would undergo a sea trial a month before being launched.
“The progress has been steady,” he said in a statement.
Shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Gorinchem BV of the Netherlands was appointed to build them after 36 companies participated in an open tender, he said.
The water buses are an upgrade of the iconic car-carrying Penang ferries, which ceased operations last year.
Port operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd had previously committed to spending RM34 million to acquire three water buses and two motorcycle transporters or lighters.
Another RM30 million was allocated for this purpose by the finance ministry.
The five vessels were supposed to arrive in the middle of this year.
The new vessels would increase the reliability of the cross-channel service and shorten travel time from about 20 minutes to 10 minutes, the operator had previously said.
The older ferries, nearly 40 years old, were too costly to maintain, they said.
The new water buses would fit 200 passengers at any one time while the lighters can each carry 100 motorcycles.
The water bus would have speeds of between 12 and 15 knots (22-27km/h) compared with the old ferries, which could travel at seven to eight knots, the operator had said.
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