Nor Mohamed: Cheaper rides on Rapid Penang buses

PENANG: The fares of Rapid Penang buses will start from RM1 and thereafter increase by blocks of 50 sen to a maximum of RM3. 

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the new bus service would start a day earlier on July 31 immediately after the launch of the Northern Corridor Economic Region here by the Prime Minister. 

Commuters will be given free rides for three days until Aug 2, he told reporters after launching a course on driving manners for Rapid Penang drivers at its depot in Sungai Nibong here yesterday. 

Nor Mohamed, who also went on a short trial ride on a Rapid Penang bus, said some of the fares were cheaper by 50 sen compared to those charged by existing bus companies. 

He said Rapid Penang would introduce products such as day passes for commuters in future. 

Rapid Penang chairman Datuk Abdul Rahim Mokti said some 20,000 commuters were expected  

to use Rapid Penang buses daily, which was half of the number  

of people using buses in Penang now. 

He said the company’s 150 buses would ply 26 routes on the island and seven on the mainland. 

Penang Road Transport Department director Hassan Yaccob said he hoped the department would stop receiving complaints from commuters about the public bus service here once Rapid Penang starts its service. 

In another function, state Local Government, Traffic Management, Information and Community Relations Committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said students in uniform, senior citizens aged 60 and above and the disabled would get a 50% fare discount on Rapid Penang buses. 

He said the Rapid Penang board would hold a meeting today to decide on the implementation of the discount.