Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he was informed of the new plans last week. He hoped the ministry would allow the last two vessels to operate and look into reviving the other vessels which have been put out of service.

The older vessels have been a bane for operators as they are prone to breakdowns, often faulted due to their age. It was also reported that the ferries were a loss-making venture, with operators losing RM30 million a year. At one time, there were seven ferries operating.

“We would like the transport ministry to allow the old ferries to operate alongside the catamarans so the public can experience the new and the old,” he was quoted as saying in Parliament as published by Buletin Mutiara, the state’s news organ.

Chow was responding to Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong’s plans to introduce catamarans, as there were no spare parts to maintain the 47-year-old ferries.

Wee told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that only 200,000 vehicles used the ferries, while 1.2 million were pedestrians. He said a pedestrian-only catamaran would be enough to meet demand, while the two bridges were enough for vehicular traffic.

Currently, two ferries serve the 3km route – Pulau Talang-Talang and Pulau Angsa – both which were built in 1975 and 1981 respectively. The two can accommodate cars, motorcycles and pedestrians.

The service came to a complete halt on Aug 24 after both vessels suffered engine faults, but were repaired a day later. A month later, the ferry ramps at the George Town terminal failed, forcing hundreds on their morning commute back to Butterworth to be stranded.