Rapid Penang History

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: RAPID PENANG

TYPES: BUSES

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT RAPID PENANG

Rapid Penang Sdn Bhd is one of the leading bus operators in Penang and commenced operations on 31st July 2007. It was funded by the Ministry Of Finance Incorporated and is a subsidiary of Syarikat Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL). The launching of the Rapid Penang bus service was held in Butterworth by the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Rapid Penang aims to provide a comfortable, affordable and reliable public transport service for Penang. Rapid Penang currently have 350 buses operating on total 44 route services while providing shuttle services for inter corridor links on both the island and mainland. All these buses are equipped with ultra-low flooring, and are OKU-friendly.

Rapid Penang supports all initiatives for the disabled and elderly, as well as the less fortunate.They recent corporate social responsibility program entitled "Kids Day Out" at the Tengku Fauziah Musuem and Art Gallery, USM was attended by 35 orphans from BUDI, Rumah Pusat Jagaan Sinar Ceria in Bukit Mertajam and St Joseph's Home in Penang.

BUS OPERATOR INDUSTRY IN PENANG

The Malaysian Federal government's move to operate bus services in Penang came about when the ailing bus network in the state started showing signs of collapse.

The bus operators of Penang had been facing financial difficulties for many years but the situation became critical when one of Penang's largest and best known bus companies, the Yellow Bus Company Berhad, which had been operating for 58 years, suddenly stopped running on 1 January 2004, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. On 1 April 2006, the Penang state government revamped the entire bus network in the hope of improving the bus service in the state. Under the revamped routes, bigger buses were made to run along "trunk" routes while minibuses ran "feeder" routes which branched off trunk...