BUTTERWORTH: Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), which operates the northern region’s transport hub Penang Sentral, has drawn attention to the presence of errant express bus drivers who have refused to heed the stipulated travel routes.
In a brief statement to the media, an MRCB spokesperson said that all transport providers (buses, taxis, the cross channel ferry operator and KTM rail), were fully briefed on the locations for pick-ups and drop–offs.
The statement was issued following a report that some bus operators had refused to enter the hub, preferring to drop their passengers off outside without shelter when they alighted from the buses.
The dedicated passengers’ way for express buses is located at Level 1, and as of now, it is functioning effectively, although there is a narrow bending stretch towards the area which is not meant for express buses in the first place.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to tighten up enforcement in view of a few operators who are flouting the guidelines which put public safety at risk,“ the spokesperson said.
As for ride hailing services, they were slotted in at Level 7 to avoid unnecessary hassle between conventional cab operators and ride sharing drivers.
“We are trying to work out a system which can appease all quarters.”
Penang Sentral, which is modelled after the highly successful KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur, had its soft opening on Thursday after some eight years of painstaking construction and redesign work.
Costing RM2.7 billion, the other phases include a business hotel and shop lots. Right now the property offers a seamless connectivity passage to the port, ferry terminals, express buses and KTM rail passenger depots.
The hub is also designed to help revive the Butterworth area, which has decreased in terms of importance after the routes to the two Penang Bridges had forsaken the historic township.
As much as Penang Island grew economically, Butterworth was often seen as the ‘stepchild’ of the island, but in the 1970s and 1980s, it increased in stature as many islanders relocated there due to cheaper housing deals.
While the housing remains, the commercial interests have relocated to Seberang Jaya to meet the spillovers from the Penang Bridge, and to Batu Kawan, which is linked to the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge (second bridge).
