Free rides for OKU on Penang ferry from April 8

From April 8, persons with disabilities (OKU) will be able to ride the new Penang ferry service for free. Those eligible for the fare waiver will have to pre-register at counters in Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda on the island or Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim on the mainland with their MyKad and OKU cards issued by the social welfare department.

Those registered will have their fare waived by using their MyKad, The Star reports. At present, the travel fee for OKU is RM1 for pedestrians (half that of the RM2 fare for adult passengers), RM2 for cyclists and RM2.50 for motorcyclists.

Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin said that once registered, OKU will enjoy free, unlimited ferry rides between both terminals. “This no-limit offer is expected to ease their financial burden for transportation and encourage them to use the service,” he said. Penang Port CEO Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan added that on average, OKU make 140 trips daily.

Launched in August last year, the new Penang ferry service operates four ferries, each with a passenger capacity of 150 and 50 motorcycles. The service makes 68 two-way trips a day from Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda (PRTU) on the island to Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (PSAH) in Butterworth. The frequency is every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during non-peak hours.

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