The Penang government will address public complaints about poor connectivity between the Butterworth railway station, Penang Sentral and the ferry terminal.
Infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, who visited the Butterworth railway station and Penang Sentral, said the state had received numerous complaints following a Nov 8 incident last year, when a six-car KTM Komuter train overshot the track at the station.
The incident caused the temporary closure of a pedestrian walkway linking the railway station and Penang Sentral, causing inconvenience to passengers.
“The state has received public feedback, particularly over discomfort and connectivity issues between transport modes,” Zairil was reported saying by state publisher Buletin Mutiara.
He said based on his visit, he found that significant upgrading works had been completed and several other projects were ongoing.
He added that the 200m air-conditioned walkway built to universal design standards had since reopened.
“Some users still feel it is difficult to move luggage along the route, but slower movement is expected as the design complies with universal access standards.”
Addressing the issue of malfunctioning lifts, which forces passengers to use the stairs, Zairil said a station-upgrading project by the Federal Government was expected to commence soon.
He added that the project was currently at the tender evaluation stage and would include the installation of escalators on both platforms, as well as the segregation of pick-up and drop-off areas at the KTM station.
This follows Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s previous announcement of a RM30mil allocation to transform the Butterworth station, ferry terminal and Penang Sentral, into an integrated public transport hub.
At Penang Sentral, Zairil said operator Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd had relocated e-hailing pick-up and drop-off points from Level 8 to Levels 2 and 2A to improve passenger flow.
He said November and December were the most challenging as the walkway closure coincided with the school holidays, forcing passengers to use uncovered and non-air-conditioned routes.
Zairil said users had raised concerns over mismatched schedules between ferry services, KTM Komuter and ETS services, noting that ferry operations were more susceptible to delays due to weather and technical issues.
He advised passengers to plan for buffer time during their journeys.
StarMetro had on Jan 14 highlighted commuters’ complaints over long walking distances, stifling heat, lift failures and poor accessibility along the ferry-rail link.
The reports also pointed out cases of missed train connections and difficulties faced by elderly passengers, those with luggage, and wheelchair users.
In a recent statement, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said public concerns were valid, emphasising that it was a key gateway to Penang.
He said a positive first impression was important for the state’s image and that the state, along with relevant agencies, was committed to seeing the upgrades through.
