Penang mulls statewide water taxi service after stalled pilot scheme

Penang mulls statewide water taxi service after stalled pilot scheme



A boat crosses the Penang Straits with a view of Komtar and George Town in the background, near the Penang Bridge, on January 13, 2019. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Thursday, 28 Aug 2025 11:41 AM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, Aug 28 — Penang is considering a new, expanded water taxi service that would cover routes between the island and the mainland, after a previously awarded pilot project for the island failed.

State Infrastructure, Transport, and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the original water taxi tender, awarded by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) a few years ago, was called off after the firm missed the deadline to obtain the necessary permits from the Transport Ministry.

“They were unable to meet the conditions of the tender within the agreed period so the tender was cancelled and we go back to the drawing board,” Zairil told reporters after officiating a geotechnical engineering seminar here today.

Zairil explained that the state government has now decided to take over the project from the city council and expand its scope to cover the entire state.


The government decided the water taxi service should cover both the island and mainland instead of focusing only on the island under the aborted pilot, he explained

Penang has a large body of water that can be used for water taxi services to connect locations between the island and the mainland, he added.

However, Zairil said more research is needed to effectively implement the service, and the state will look at existing cost-effective water taxi systems in other countries, such as India, for inspiration.


The cancelled project had proposed a water taxi service plying six routes around Penang island at intervals of between 15 and 45 minutes.

Four jetties were identified at Straits Quay, Swettenham Pier, Pulau Jerejak, and the Batu Maung Transfer Station.

While the Transport Ministry had given conditional approval for the service back in 2022, the company awarded the project was responsible for obtaining the full operating licences, a condition it ultimately failed to meet.