Loading AI tools
Ferry service between Georgetown and Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Penang Ferry Service is the oldest ferry service within the State of Penang, Malaysia, connecting the city of George Town on Penang Island and Butterworth on the mainland. This cross-strait transit has been operational since 1894, making it the oldest ferry service in Malaysia.[1] Its fleet of six ferries carries both passengers and automobiles across the Penang Strait daily; each roll-on/roll-off ferry could accommodate cars either on its lower deck or on both decks.[2]
![]() | This article needs to be updated. (April 2023) |
![]() | |
Locale | ![]() Penang ferry service (Penang) |
---|---|
Waterway | Penang Strait |
Transit type | Passenger and automobile ferry |
Owner | Penang Port Sdn Bhd |
Began operation | 1894 |
System length | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
No. of lines | 1 |
No. of vessels | 4 |
No. of terminals | 2 |
The first cross-strait ferry service between Penang Island and the mainland began in 1894.[1] This regular service was initiated by Quah Beng Kee, an entrepreneur from Penang Island together with his 4 brothers forming a company named Beng Brothers.[3] Originally a passenger-only service, the ferries were later refitted to carry automobiles in 1925. From 1924, the ferries were operated by the Penang Port Commission (formerly Penang Harbour Board), through its subsidiary, Penang Port Sdn Bhd.
In 2017, the Malaysian federal government began transferring the ferry service from Penang Port Sdn Bhd to Prasarana Malaysia, a government-owned entity which manages urban public transportation across Malaysia.[2][4][5] Following the handover, the ferry service has been rebranded as Rapid Ferry. On 31 December 2020, Rapid Ferry ended its service after 3 years.[6]
In 2021, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, which took over the ferry service from Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, began operating fast passenger boats between the mainland and the island, while one of the iconic ferries, Pulau Angsa, was used to transport only motorcycles and bicycles.
The seven ferries in the current fleet and ten retired ferries are named after islands in Malaysia.[7]
Status | Upper deck configuration* | Name | Year built | Deadweight tonnage | IMO ship identification number | Photograph | Remark |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Pinang | 1956 | N/A | 5286922 | ||
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Aman | 1959 | 139 | 5286831 | ![]() |
Destroyed in a fire in Johor in 2003 |
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Langkawi | 1959 | 139 | 5286867 | ||
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Pangkor | 1959 | 139 | 5286893 | Sold to Indonesia operator & rename as Bahari Nusantara | |
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Tioman | 1959 | 139 | 5287017 | ||
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Lumut | 1967 | 139 | 6422913 | Last spotted at Sepanggar Sabah in 2018 | |
Retired | Mixed | Pulau Redang | 1971 | 139 | 7030470 | ||
Retired | Passenger | Pulau Labuan | 1971 | 139 | 7038408 | ![]() |
|
Out of service by 31 Dec 2020 | Mixed | Pulau Undan | 1975 | 262 | 734724 | Owned by Penang Port Commission (PPC) | |
Retired/Sold in 2018 | Mixed | Pulau Rawa | 1975 | 262 | 7343736 | ![]() |
Beached at Teluk Intan, presume scrapped. |
Out of service by 31 Dec 2020 | Mixed | Pulau Talang Talang | 1975 | 262 | 7343748 | ![]() |
Owned by Penang Port Commission (PPC)
Planned as sightseeing ferry stationed at Swettenham Pier |
Retired/Sold in 2018 | Mixed | Pulau Rimau | 1980 | 100 | 7911076 | ![]() |
Owned by Ideal group.
Planned as floating restaurant at Queens Waterfront. |
Retired in Jul 2022. | Mixed till 31 Dec 2020 / Passenger & Motorcycle only till July 2022. | Pulau Angsa | 1981 | 100 | 8010491 | ![]() |
Owned by Penang State Government |
Retired in 2018 | Mixed | Pulau Kapas | 1981 | 280 | 8101082 | ![]() |
Owned by Penang Port Commission (PPC) |
Retired in 2019 | Vehicle | Pulau Payar | 2002 | 440 | 9254393 | ![]() |
Owned by Penang Port Commission (PPC)
Planned as floating restaurant |
Retired in 2019 | Vehicle | Pulau Pinang | 2002 | 440 | 9275244 | ![]() |
Owned by Penang Port Commission (PPC) |
Retired | Passenger | Kenangan 1,2 and 3 | 1999 | 156 | 8958784 | ![]() |
|
In service | Passenger, Motorcycles & Bicycles | Teluk Bahang | 2023 | 150 | 9977610 | ||
In service | Passenger, Motorcycles & Bicycles | Teluk Duyung | 2023 | 150 | 9977646 | ||
In service | Passenger, Motorcycles & Bicycles | Teluk Kumbar | 2023 | 150 | 9977622 | ||
In service | Passenger, Motorcycles & Bicycles | Teluk Kampi | 2023 | 150 | 9977634 |
At present, the two ferry terminals - one each in George Town and Butterworth - are also run by Penang Port Commission.[4]
Map | Location | Terminal | Image |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Raja Tun Uda | ![]() | |
![]() |
Sultan Abdul Halim | ![]() |
Weekdays:
Weekends:
Type | Rate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM)) |
---|---|
Adult | RM2.00 |
Children (between 5 and 12 years old | RM1.00 |
Type | Rate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM)) |
---|---|
Adult | RM30.00 |
Type | Rate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM)) |
---|---|
Students in school uniform | RM0.60 |
Holders of Kad Orang Kurang Upaya (Disabled Person Card) | Free |
Type of vehicles | Rate (in Malaysian Ringgit (RM)) |
---|---|
Bicycle | RM2.00 |
Motorcycle (inclusive of pillion rider) | RM2.50 |
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.