As you know, Penang’s 126-year-old ferry service took its final voyage on December 31st, 2020, and since then, many Penangites along with several parties have called for the government to not let the vessels go to waste and utilise them instead.
With that, the Penang Port Commission (PPC) is set to call for a Request for Proposal (RFP) to turn the ferries into tourist attractions, such as floating museums and floating restaurants.
“The RFP is to implement Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong's decision, taking into account the cultural and heritage sentiments of Penangites towards the iconic ferries,” said PPC chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng.
According to the New Straits Times, the 10-year lease will come with an option to extend for a further five years.
The RFP document will go on sale starting this Friday (January 29th), and interested companies have until February 15th the purchase the document, and bidders must submit their RFP before the closing date on March 19th.
For your information, a Request for Proposal (RFP) is a project funding announcement posted by an organisation for which companies place bids.
The RFP outlines the bidding process and contract terms and guides how the bid should be placed.
Let’s hope we’ll still be seeing these ferries around!
by Kyle Roshen Jacob
