The Penang state government has decided to continue funding the Pas Mutiara My50 programme in 2025, announcing an allocation of RM7 million for 280,000 passes. As such, Rapid Penang bus services throughout the state will remain free for those utilising the pass under this initiative, said state infrastructure and transport exco member Zairil Khir Johari.
Penang began offering the Pas Mutiara My50 unlimited travel pass in March 2021, with an allocation of 100,000 passes (equivalent to RM3 million) being offered that year. The programe, which was introduced to ease commuter burdens during the Covid-19 pandemic, was renewed in 2022 and has been in place since then.
For 2024, a total of 194,497 passes have been subscribed or renewed as of November, with an average of 17,682 new subscriptions per month, the New Straits Timesreports.
“The Pas Mutiara has gained significant popularity, with steady increases in both card sales and ridership. This trend is expected to continue, especially with the introduction of new bus routes via demand responsive transit (DRT) for on-demand bookings,” he said via a statement.
He added that the state would maintain 15 free CAT Bridge buses for 2025. Ten buses will operate on the CAT 13 route from Seberang Jaya to Bayan Lepas, while five buses will cover the CAT 14 route from Bukit Mertajam to Komtar.
Zairil hoped that the initiative would encourage more Penang residents to use public transport instead of private vehicles, which would result in savings on petrol, parking and tolls.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
