Commuters stage protest
Enough is enough. Some 50 commuters staged a protest against the inefficient bus service outside Komtar in Penang Road.

August 7, 2006
BUG: Get new bus operators
Commuters irked by the inefficiency of bus companies want the Government to invite new operators to provide the service.

August 3, 2006
Get transport service in order
The public bus and taxi service must be in order before any attempt is made to reduce parking bays and increase parking fees in the city.

July 28, 2006
PM’s help sought to solve traffic woes
Frustrated by the unending transport woes in the state, the Citizens for Public Transport (CEPAT) has sent a letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his urgent intervention.

July 19, 2006
Revoking bus permits a last resort
Permits belonging to problematic bus companies in Penang will be revoked as a last resort if they failed to buck up even after receiving government help.

July 17, 2006
Penang free to submit proposal
The Penang Government is free to propose for new bus companies to operate on existing routes in order to alleviate public transportation woes plaguing the island.

July 13, 2006
Bus men: Don’t expect wonders
Don't expect wonders within three months. This is the message bus operators are sending to the authorities who introduced a new zoning system on April 1.

Operators risk losing bus permits
Errant bus operators will have their licences revoked as part of a “quick fix” strategy adopted by the authorities to rectify the messy public transport system.

July 12, 2006
Please bring back the trams
Letter: I am from KL but a Penang fan and I agree with you that the public bus system in Penang is unreliable.

Hard to find all the bus routes
Letter: I have been trying to get around Penang Island by bus over the last couple of months.

July 9, 2006
Firms: State’s bus plan unfair
Public bus operators on the island are crying foul over the state government’s plan to operate the public bus system.

July 8, 2006
Penangites not surprised public transport service didn’t improve
The public transport service revamp was doomed from the start if one were to look at the date chosen for its launch.

Mini buses are back in town
Mini buses are back in town. They are supposed to operate on feeder routes and not on the main routes under the bus service revamp starting on April 1.

July 7, 2006
Koh: Drastic changes needed
The state government should be given the same power as the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) to enable it to operate public bus services efficiently.

July 5, 2006
No expertise in bus business
The state government should let the private sector and the right company operate the public bus system.

July 4, 2006
Penang government plans to take over public transport
Three months after the public transport system in Penang was overhauled, the state government admits it is in shambles.

Commuter: System doomed to fail
The announcement by the state government that the island's revamped public bus system is a failure came as no surprise to regular commuters.

Come, join us in the fight, BUG urges motorists
The Bus Users Group (BUG) has come up with an eye-catching fuchsia coloured car sticker inviting motorists to join them in their fight for a better bus system for the state.

June 19, 2006
Cepat: Implement new bus policy in three to six months
The state has been asked to implement the new public transport policy it has proposed in the next three to six months.

June 5, 2006
‘Give councils authority’
Local councils should have the authority of the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) to check on public transport services if they were to manage the services in Penang.

May 31, 2006
Local councils may take over bus operations
The task of providing public bus transportation services may be given to the local authorities if private bus operators are unable to cope with the new zoning system, state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said.

May 21, 2006
Bus commuters still unhappy
Although it has been more than one and a half months since the new public bus system was implemented in Penang, many commuters are still upset with the service.

May 18, 2006
Bus firms face snag over loans
Bus operators are struggling to fulfil their requirements in their bid to make the new bus system work.

May 3, 2006
Bus commuters asked for feedback
Bus commuters in Penang have been urged to fill in report cards to help monitor the new integrated public bus system implemented a month ago.

Praise for transport revamp
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) lauded the Penang Government’s effort in revamping the public transport system.

CVLB accountable for dismal record
A letter from Citizens for Public Transport (Cepat).

April 30, 2006
Stop the row, work together
Stop quarrelling and focus, instead, on the objectives of improving the public transport system in Penang.

April 27, 2006
Penang bus firms sack 17 drivers
Seventeen drivers from two bus companies here have been sacked for taking their sweet time to pick up passengers.

April 24, 2006
BUG gives out free lists of bus fares
A group calling itself the Bus Users Group (BUG) has distributed 500 free lists of bus fares to commuters in Penang.

April 20, 2006
Island’s loss, mainland’s gain
While mini buses can no longer be seen in George Town, a fleet of these vehicles has been spotted plying Seberang Prai.

April 19, 2006
More new buses
Additional buses will be brought in to the island next week to meet passengers’ demand for new buses under the revamped bus system.

Move to stop leasing of buses
Enforcement officers will carry out spot checks on buses to ensure that the drivers and conductors are under the bus companies’ payroll.

April 18, 2006
Operators: No lack of buses from the start
The hiccup in the implementation of the new bus zoning system over the last two weeks occurred because drivers and com-muters were confused with the new bus routes.

Commuter: Driver overcharged me
Commuter Joachim Xavier has been overcharged thrice by a bus driver and he has had enough.

April 17, 2006
Bring back the old bus system
A letter from ANOTHER VICTIMISED COMMUTER of Penang.

No joy on Penang bus rides
A post by blogger LILU on the Star Citizen's Blog

April 16, 2006
Commuters form group to get feedback on new bus system
Penang bus commuters form a group to gather feedback on the revamped bus system.

April 13, 2006
A bitter affair with bus revamp
A skeptical Joachim Xavier finally opted for a bus ride to work after skipping it the past 11 days since the new bus service revamp started.

April 12, 2006
Improvement 'in a week'
Commuters can expect improvement in the revamped public bus service within a week.

Stage buses code 2-7 suspended
Stage buses under the 2-7 code plying Air Itam to Balik Pulau via Jalan Tun Sardon will be temporarily suspended.

April 11, 2006
Hearing on bus service
Penang Watch and a number of non-governmental organisations will hold a public hearing on the island’s bus service revamp this Friday, April 14.

April 8, 2006
'Give them a grace period'
All parties have been urged to give the bus operators a one month grace period to familiarise themselves with the new routing system.

April 7, 2006
Get tough with busmen
Don’t be lenient to errant bus operators.

April 6, 2006
Mini bus drivers offer solution
Bored of cruising non-pro-fitable routes without passengers, some mini bus drivers have offered to ply the main routes to help stage bus operators meet demand.

Long wait at bus stops
Overloaded buses and crowded bus stops are still a common sight in Penang due to hitches from the newly implemented restructured public bus system.

April 5, 2006
Factory, tour buses allowed
Stage bus operators here will be allowed to use factory, school or tour buses to ensure they have enough buses on the road as a temporary measure to meet demand.

Rep: Give new system a chance
Bus commuters in Penang should remain patient and give the bus service revamp a try first before reacting.

Booked at pick-up point
Is the spot in front of the Air Itam market a bus interchange?

Penang bus firms to submit plans
Bus companies here must submit their operation system and modernisation plans to the Commercial Vehi-cle Licensing Board (CVLB) within three months.

April 4, 2006
Black, fuming mad Monday
As anticipated, the morning peak hour on the third day of the new public bus system on Penang island was chaotic and a mad rush as commuters jostled and clambered onto stage buses.

A hassle getting to work
Commuters just want to get to work on time. Full stop.

Penangites been ‘taken for a ride’
The newly restructured public bus system in Penang will not work if enforcement by the authorities continues to be weak, Penang Consumer Protection Association president K. Koris said.

April 2, 2006
State satisfied with new bus system, says Dr Teng
The Penang government is satisfied with the new public bus service on the island although there were some teething problems here and there.

Confusion at bus stops
Confusion reigned at bus stops and terminals as the new bus service on Penang island began operations on Saturday.

Difficulty reading the fine print
The print on the posters detailing the new routes of various buses in Penang was too small.

March 31, 2006
One bus every 20 minutes on April 1
One bus every 20 minutes – that’s what Penangites have been told to expect when the new bus system starts tomorrow (Saturday).  

One big mess at Weld Quay
"This here is not a bus stop; it has become a bus terminal."

Drivers plying Route 25 fear losses
Bus No.25 (Bukit Gedong), leaving the main bus stop at Weld Quay near the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal in George Town, now passes 33 bus stops to pick up and drop passengers.

Puspakom to work overtime to test buses
With less than 24 hours before the new public bus system begins on the island, 175 buses have yet to pass the roadworthiness test.

‘Focus and direction’ the key
The public transport system in the country is in a mess because the right policy is not in place.

March 30, 2006
No delay for start of new bus system
The Penang State Government will go ahead with the restructured public bus system for the island on Saturday although only five buses have passed the Puspakom’s roadworthiness test so far.

Rivalry ‘caused inefficiency’
Penangites have complained of inefficient public bus services and rickety old buses for many years. They say the drivers are rude and there are no proper route schedules.

Operators appeal for loans to upgrade buses
All three stage bus operators and four mini bus operators on the island are appealing for soft loans from the state government to upgrade their buses.

Spotlight now on Dr Teng
All eyes are on Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan.

Reporter tells it like it is
Cruising around the vicinities of Air Itam in photographer Din’s car from 7am to 8.30am on a Monday morning, we were expecting packed buses and the infamous jostling rush crowds at bus stops.

March 29, 2006
Gone are the good old days
Courteous drivers, friendly conductors, efficient ticket checkers, comfortable rides and punctual buses – these are what the senior generation in Penang enjoyed not too long ago.

Glorious days of Penang’s trams
Penang once had an impressive local transport system. There were steam trams, horse trams, electric trams and trolleybuses.

Seven more buses fail test
Seven more public buses here have failed the roadworthiness test conducted by Puspakom.

March 28, 2006
None passed Puspakom test
The island’s new public bus system will begin on Saturday but so far none of the buses have passed Puspakom's roadworthiness test.

March 25, 2006
Seniors get 50% discount
Senior citizens and disabled persons will enjoy a 50% fare discount on all stage and mini buses on Penang island.

March 22, 2006
Only ‘fit’ buses allowed on road
All 125 stage buses and 69 minibuses on the island will be tested for roadworthiness before they are allowed to ply the streets when the state’s restructured public bus system starts operation on April 1.