Loke said he had discussed with PPC the need for it to explore ways to expand the ferry services.
“Let us not be too rigid (with the services) as we have been only connecting Butterworth and George Town all this while.
“Open up to exploring other destinations in Penang since we have some locations with jetties. We will then look at whether it is suitable for these ferries to head to these destinations.
“We (ministry) feel that there are a lot of possibilities that we can look into,” he said at the official launch of the new ferry service at Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda here today.
He also said the transport ministry would look into the feasibility of expanding the ferry service to other parts of the island from Butterworth, including building jetties in areas like Bayan Lepas, as many mainland Penangites work there.
“We would need to work with the state government and owners of private jetties, like those in Straits Quay, Tanjung Bungah and Bayan Baru, to expand the ferry services,” he said.
Penang’s new fleet of four ferries, costing RM80 million, went into operation on Aug 7.
Loke said ferry rides will be free of charge for a month from today, the launching date.
He said the fee, to be announced by PPC later, would be affordable.
Loke also urged PPC to consider allowing the ferries to be chartered for corporate events and for tourism agencies hosting big tour groups.
He said his ministry could help market this charter service, which would further boost Penang’s tourism sector.
The charter service can be kickstarted immediately as there are four ferries available, and PPC has been given the option to bring in a fifth unit solely for the charter service.
Loke also said private companies interested in rehabilitating the decommissioned old ferries into tour ferries could submit their proposals to PPC.
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