Penang residents demand better frequency over free fares
GEORGETOWN: A ratepayers advocacy group has raised concern that Penang’s free public bus programme is failing to deliver meaningful impact due to inadequate number of vehicles in service, arguing that availability – not affordability – is the more significant obstacle to greater public transport uptake.
Ratepayers Penang president Lee Kim Noor acknowledged that the Mutiara Pass scheme, which enables riders to board Rapid Penang buses for a one-time RM10 registration and free subsequent renewals, has removed the cost barrier for commuters.
However, she said the programme’s reach is severely constrained by the state’s modest bus fleet.
“No doubt, we have Mutiara Pass providing free rides, but the whole of Penang only has about 300 buses. In Singapore, they have 5,000 buses,” she told theSun.
She added that the fundamental question is not whether fares are subsidised, but whether buses actually show up when and where passengers need them.
She also said without adequate frequency, coverage and punctuality, commuters would have little incentive to abandon their private vehicles, regardless of how generous the incentive scheme may be.
Lee said the shortfall is also undermining broader efforts to ease Penang’s entrenched traffic congestion problem, particularly during peak travel hours.
She cautioned against over-reliance on the state’s forthcoming Light Rail Transit network as a standalone solution to the city’s congestion woes.
She stressed that a well-functioning bus ecosystem needs to be in place before the LRT launches as developing a dependable public transport network takes years.
“It is a fallacy to assume that Penang’s LRT on its own would resolve the present serious traffic congestion, especially during morning and evening peak hours,” she said, adding that groundwork must begin immediately.
Beyond the bus fleet issue, the group also reiterated its dissatisfaction with the state government’s recent revision of quit rent rates. While relief measures were announced on April 1 – including a 50% rebate for most landowners, nominal charges for certain categories and instalment payment options – Lee said the adjustments fall short of addressing the financial burden on residents.
She called on the state to direct additional revenue collected towards practical improvements that residents could tangibly benefit from, such as expanding the bus network, improving route coverage and standardising scheduling.
“Ratepayers are willing to contribute, but they need to see clear and practical outcomes.” The quit rent revisions announced by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in January had drawn pushback from landowners, particularly those holding older titles or business-use land.
The matter escalated into a broader political discussion before the state introduced its revised relief package, which also set updated rates of 70 sen per square metre for urban land and 50 sen per square metre for rural land.
However, landowners falling under the revised category will not qualify for the 50% rebate and will not revert to their previous lower rates.
