Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration in ,

Azfizan Aziz

Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 of Malaya, 50603 Malaysia and School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang Malaysia

Jamilah Mohamad Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

This research analyses the bus operation and network in detail, using a system of indicators derived from surveys and detailed information supplied by the operator. The research approach employed could also be used as a template for bus service reviews elsewhere, where operational data is scarce due to a lack of smartcard electronic ticket information. The analyses concentrated on the bus fleet information, level of service, Rapid Penang timetables and survey data, Rapid Penang ridership data and survey data. Measures for reliability and integrating bus services are concentrated on the physical structure of different levels of integration, including physical integration, network, ticket, fares and information system. Finally, the research yields several recommendations to improve reliability, convenience, accessi- bility, coordinated physical integration and frequent services and a reasonable fare on bus services.

Keywords: Transport Planning, Public Transport and Integration Policy, Governance Structures, Penang, Malaysia

Introduction In most developing countries, public transport is a means for making journeys to work, school, shops and other daily activities. It is also a means of providing greater freedom, access, opportunity and choice for those ‘finan- cially-challenged’ living in these urban areas and those who simply cannot afford to have their own private vehicles (lles 2005). The public bus service in Malaysia, for example, is often connoted with the 3Cs, the catchy words Convenient, Comfort and Cheap. Commuters seek convenient and comfort- able services at cheaper and affordable prices. While the 3Cs are becoming the major drive for operators of public bus transport, it is only ironic that the quality and efficiency have often been sacrificed (Suria 2012).

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 78-101 © 2019 Geo Publishing, Toronto Canada Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 79

The process of urbanization, together with the increase in population, has contributed to the expansion of many existing urban areas (Angela 2005). This suggests that the mobility rates will be exceptionally higher in larger or principal towns compared to the smaller ones. Several attempts have been made to draw up plans for urban transport in many Malaysian towns.

However, the existing public transport phenomenon, which encourages Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 private car ownership, has led to a declining modal split ratio for public trans- port (Barter 2004).The decline in the use of the public transport is partly due to the fact that public transport is regarded as a socially degraded mode of transport. It is quite true, as the conditions and services of public transport have been deteriorating, despite some incentives and fragmented attempts introduced by regulatory bodies to restore its now damaged reputation. The absence of a sole responsible body for the planning of public transport has been found to be another issue contributing the present state of deficiency. In recent years, integrated public transport has received considerable particular attention in Europe, , and many other cities. There is real effort for improving the connectivity across transport modes so that public transport becomes a viable alternative to car travel, thus reducing road congestion, pollutant emission and other aspects. The concept of integra- tion in public transport generally accepts the vision of ‘good practice’ in terms of integration of public transport services. Integration is about getting from one place to another via rider-friendly intermodal facilities and interconnec- tions. Improved integration between the public transport modes helps people move around more easily and reduces the costs and inconveniences of travel (Ibrahim 2001). People in Hong Kong can afford the current transport fares with shorter waiting and travelling times. Any coordination between different transport modes will minimize wasteful competition and duplication of services. More people will use public transport services if they offer reason- able fares, speed and convenience with good quality vehicles. Entering the new millennium, people need to have a vision for for a better future. Continuing improvement and upgrading of the quality of the public transport system in an environmentally friendly manner will maintain its popularity and sustain a better quality of life for our future generation (Yiu, Kwok-Kin and Antonio 2005). Meanwhile, in Europe, integrated public transport and the accompanying policies are gaining more attention. In the area of transport, land-use planning and environmental policy seeking the need for an integra- tion of policies is apparent. Current policies call for a new form of integration, co-operation and government involvement, based on new ideas in public administration such as network management. This trend has developed over the last decade and is partly in reaction to previous policies that are character- ized by central steering, autonomous policy developments for specific domains and a hierarchical set of relations.

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This paper attempts to review bus services issues (related to bus network accessibility, connectivity and coverage, bus operations, public transport planning, integration and urban development) in the hope to improve bus services on .

Background of the Case Study: Penang Island Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 The state of Penang lies on the northwest coast of Malaysia, to the south of and to the north of . It comprises two parts, Penang Island and Seberang , with Penang Island connected to the mainland via the and the Georgetown – Butterworth ferry. Connections to the remainder of Malaysia are provided via the North-South Expressway, the Butterworth – Kulim Expressway, through Penang International Airport and to a much lesser extent, through the Butterworth – Kuala Lumpur rail corridor. The state of Penang covers 1,065 square kilometres, with the island occu- pying 310 square kilometres and the mainland occupying 755 square kilome- tres (see Fig. 1). Almost all of the current development on Penang Island is concentrated along the eastern and northern seaboards. Georgetown forms the commercial hub of Penang Island and is the centre of Government for the state. Its immediate suburbs include Gurney Drive, Air Hitam, Jelutong and , all of which form one continuous urban área. The recent 2010 popu- lation and housing census have recorded an overall population of 1.52 million people resident in this Island state. Some 704,000 live on Penang Island and the remaining 816,000 reside on the Mainland (sourced by the Department of Statistics, Penang Branch. Based on the record established by the (Road Traffic Volume Malaysia, 2017), 2.5 million vehicles were registered in Penang up until 2017 and became the third state in Malaysia to own more than 18% of the total number of registered vehicles in the country. According to information from the Land Public Transport Commission SPAD (2016) and Suria Haron (2012), all public transport bus services on Penang Island are provided by Rapid Penang, whereas on the mainland, Rapid Penang services complement five other operators (see Fig. 2). The vast majority of Rapid Penang’s 27 Penang Island-based local bus services are radial in form, starting from Weld Quay in Georgetown and extending to Komtar (also in Georgetown). Other key terminal locations on the Island are the Express Bus Terminal in , Penang International Airport and the Bus Terminal. On the mainland, Rapid Penang opérates a total of 15 local bus services. All but four of these from in Butterworth link Butterworth with other major towns on the Mainland. A new fare structure was introduced in August 2009 (Transport Ministry 2009), in line with the government’s announcement and intention to improve the public transport system. This announcement has standardized the fare rates at RM 0.94 for the first two kilometres and RM 0.094 for each

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 81 subsequent kilometre. In Penang, Rapid Penang has used these national fare rates to develop their own zone-based fare structure. Meanwhile, a normal fare-paying passenger is one who is not classed as a senior citizen, physically disadvantaged (OKU) or a uniform-wearing schoolchild; three groups which are entitled to get travel discounts (Rapid Penang 2011). A ticketing system was implemented to allow passengers to travel on the buses using a common Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 Rapidpass Touch ‘n Go (TnG). The new ticketing system requires card users Rapidpass TnG to touch card scanners on entry and before alighting from the bus, and requires consumers to have a minimum deposit of RM3 value before traveling (Rapid Penang 2011).

FIGURE 1 Penang Island (study area) and district boundaries in Penang State Source: Department of Town and Country Planning, Penang (2017)

In Penang, there is a hierarchy of passenger facilities which is likely to consist of an integrated transport terminal (these are strategic hubs which cater for multi-modes of travelling and these may include Rail services; Inter- city Express services; local bus services and taxi provision), inter-urban

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FIGURE 2 Bus Rapid Penang Network in Penang State Source: Rapid Penang and SPAD (2015) terminal, bus terminals and hubs, single stops and bus stops. Within Penang, it is the main duty of the MPPP and MPSP to provide the necessary infrastruc- ture that is needed to facilitate the operation of bus services. In reality, however, such provision is divided between private landowners, Rapid Penang and the two municipal councils. To some extent, both MPPP and MPSP have developed this function, particularly in the case of terminals, due to the lack of available funds (Public Transport Unit, MPPP and MPSP 2015). A key part of the current public transport network is the ferry linkage between Georgetown and Butterworth. This ferry, with the aim of meeting the increasing car traffic demands, also caters for passengers travelling on foot. Given the remote locations of both the Weld Quay and Butterworth ferry terminals, most passengers using this ferry facility can reach the terminals by

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 83 bus, interchanging at Weld Quay and Penang Sentral bus terminals. The fare for on-foot travellers is RM 1.20 for adults and RM 0.60 for children (again only payable in the westbound direction). Long-distance inter-city coach services from within the state primarily opérate from Penang Island’s Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal and from Penang Sentral in Butterworth.

Sungai Nibong Terminal bus services operate to major cities with primary Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 destinations, namely Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bharu dan Padang Besar (Thai Border). Meanwhile, Penang Sentral covers inter-city services to the cities of the neighbouring states, such as (Kedah), and Taiping (North Perak). Rail services from Butterworth cover Padang Besar on the Thai border and Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur to the south. Currently, however, the track to the north of Ipoh is of a single-track status and services are very limited, with one northbound and three southbound trains serving Butterworth each day (SPAD 2016). Currently, there are three types of taxies operating within the State, these being Budget Taxis, Blue Executive Taxis and limousine-based airport and hotel taxis. In order to provide a complementary local public transport service (for those residents who do not have adequate access to local buses) they would mainly resort to the budget taxis that are expected to fulfil this role. In reality, however, budget taxis within Penang generally target the more finan- cially-ready tourists and business traders, rather than local residents (SPAD 2016). As a consequence, almost all budget taxi operators refuse to operate on a metered fare structure and tend to target passengers at a limited number of prefixed locations (hotels, bus terminals and shopping plazas) instead of ‘cruising’ the streets or operating via an efficient ‘radio call’ system. On Penang Island, in the context of the relatively good bus-based public transport provision, this is less of an issue than it might otherwise be. It still however results in taxis being generally unavailable or unaffordable to those who might otherwise use them, thus encouraging car usage and car ownership. To understand these issues further, this chapter sets out a review of the current taxi regime (SPAD 2016).

Bus Services and Integration of Public Transport on Penang Island In assessing the implications of the findings on the integration of the bus services, the components of integration include physical integration, network integration, fare and ticket integration, information integration and institu- tional integration.

Physical Integration Physical integration means that passengers can make door-to-door and multi- modal journeys in an uninterrupted manner. Close integration at an opera- tional level among different transport modes should be organized. Each trans-

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 84 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad port mode performs complementarily rather than competitively. Punctuality, frequency, co-ordination of timetables, synchronizing arrival and departure times, operation management, safety standards and resource allocation must be consistent, uniformed and standardized to achieve the aim. High frequen- cies must be supported by high reliability. Timetables of public transport must also reflect close integration so that the waiting times indicated on the timeta- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 bles are achievable and acceptable during peak as well as off-peak periods. Most bus service interchanges are located at key locations such as a jetty station and main shopping mall (Komtar and ). Better public transport interchange facilities have been taken as a measure to encourage people to use bus services on Penang Island. Through bus services inter- change, passengers can easily make transfer between buses and amongst the other modes of public transport, especially in Weld Quay and the Komtar. The design of public transport interchanges is to enhance better service integration between buses and other public transport modes. Key issues with reliability at initial bus departure studied in this analysis fall into the following categories: such as headway variance of bus departures from terminals, analysis of timetables and assessment of infrastructure and facilities. Headway variance of bus departures from terminals were generally found to be within the target set, suggesting that Rapid Penang are managing the scheduling of buses reasonably well. Analysis of timetables found that 40% of services provided an Estimated Waiting Time over a rather conservative target, and some results obtained from the bus passengers indicated that low frequency bus services might be perceived to be unreliable, even if they depart on time. Indeed, the most common of the bus passengers’ suggestions for improvements concerned improving bus frequency, with 42% of the vote. Analysis of the timetables revealed that the allowance for Layover was very low, but that Scheduled Speed was also low so as to compensate. Nevertheless, it was proposed that bus drivers of a very low “published” turnaround time are unlikely to be moti- vated to adhere to the schedule. Assessment of infrastructure and facilities found that space for buses laying over between runs is at a premium in some places in Penang. In particular, there is no layover space at the Komtar, so all routes must use the bus terminal effectively as a large bus stop. This means Rapid Penang has to terminate all these passing routes at Weld Quay, where there is not sufficient layover space. Drivers have to park their vehicles along Pengkalan Weld, some way from the bus terminal, and this may affect their ability to maintain departures on time. At the outer ends of the routes, it would be too expensive to maintain good facilities for driver breaks and layovers, but this should at least be considered for the core routes of the Recommended Transport Master Plan Strategy for Penang State. Currently, the facilities by route are as follows:

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 85

a Route 101 – bus terminals at Weld Quay and b Route 201 – a bus terminal at Weld Quay, but only an on-street turnaround near the Petronas petrol station at c Route 401E – bus terminals at Weld Quay and Balik Pulau

A popular model for the provision of public transport services around the Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 world is for the services to be operated by the private sector, and to be regu- lated by the public sector. This is often achieved by setting a system of service standards, together with penalties for non-compliance. In order to make the improvements in public transport services seen in Malaysia over the past decade or so, the government has had to take on both roles of operator and regulator. It would be inefficient to implement a system of service standards and penalties for non-compliance, as the answer to improving reliability, as this would add another layer of administration and cost to the organization. It is suggested therefore that an attempt be made to improve reliability via encouragement rather than discouragement. Whether the bus schedule is created by software or manual calculations, it is still people that need to organize themselves to adhere to it. Rapid Penang could investigate the possibility of encouraging bus terminal managers, supervisors and drivers to maintain scheduled departures, among other things, by providing incentives in the form of contracts, timetables and facilities. The opportunities for a move to performance-related contracts could be explored, certainly for newly hired persons if existing contracts are not possible to change. Contracts with a fixed basic pay and a performance-related bonus are most common in sales-related employment contracts, but are increasingly being investigated in the provision of transport services, and particularly as a response to safety concerns and duty-of-care to passengers. Singapore opera- tors SMRT and SBS Transit have these contracts in place, for example. Timetables could be revised with accurate GPS journey time data to demonstrate a reasonable layover break for drivers. Rapid Penang could review how much difference it would make to alter their current calculations to provide a scheduled journey time of an 85-percentile observed journey time from comprehensive GPS data, for example, once software has been commis- sioned to collect it, plus a 10% or 15% allowance of the round trip time for layover (not necessarily equally provided at both ends of the route). Improvements could be made in facilities at terminals, particularly the provi- sion of layover space, although this would have to be done with the coopera- tion of local authorities. A consolidated bus station would also better accommodate any future development to provide enhanced public transport systems under the recom- mended Transport Master Plan Strategy for Penang State. Weld Quay would be a Strategic Network Hub under the Master Plan, and a new bus station design would need to consider any future upgrade to , or

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 86 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad . It is understood that the current pedestrian walkway and associated commercial stalls in between the existing terminals are under different land ownership to the bus station, but the provision of first floor air-conditioned commercial space in the new bus terminal should encourage the development of a consolidated new plan. An even better improvement at Weld Quay would involve the use of the land to the south of the existing property boundary used Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 for the bus stations (in the bottom left hand corner of the picture above). This land stretches to the junction with Lebuh Chulia, from which a direct access and egress for the bus station could be designed. It is understood that this land is highly unlikely to be made available though. The recommended Transport Master Plan Strategy for Penang State suggests that the Air Hitam corridor (covered by Routes 201 and 202 among others) be the first corridor to be developed with a view to improving public transport in the state. It also suggests a Park & Ride facility could be developed in Paya Terubong, to support an improvement in public transport provision between there and George Town along the Air Hitam corridor. Key issues with reliability at initial bus departure points studied in this analysis fall into the following categories, such as on-board payment systems, assessment of infras- tructure and facilities. On- board payment systems appear to cause delays affecting reliability, as fare payments are taken one-at-a-time by the driver, who also issues the tickets. When a lot of people board the bus at busy bus stops, the associated delays can be significant. At Hub Bukit Jambul, the average delay between the arrival of a bus and its departure was found to be 1:15 minutes, within an observed range of 30 seconds to 7:30 minutes. At the Komtar, the average delay was about 3 minutes, within an observed range of 30 seconds to 8:30 minutes. So, the delays due to boarding passengers can be quite significant. Assessment of infrastructure and facilities concentrated on the busiest bus stops in Penang; the eastbound bus stop at Hub Bukit Jambul, the Komtar, and its associated bus stop in Jalan Penang. An immediate solution to the problem of the current on-board payment system would be to have conductors collecting payments and issuing tickets aboard buses, but this would double the on-board staffing overnight with no guaranteed increase in income. Rapid Penang have let it be known that they are currently in the process of imple- menting a new smartcard electronic ticketing system which will solve this problem. Even with smartcards, a backup fare box is still used on buses in Singapore, and this would probably also be the case in Penang. This would certainly benefit the many tourists and other visitors to this World Heritage Site, who may not know where to buy a smartcard, but it could also encourage the local population to continue paying cash. Many existing bus passengers appear to be of modest means, and will not be used to, and perhaps also unwilling, to invest a lot of money in a stored value card. The eastbound bus stop at Hub Bukit Jambul does not appear to have any major problems that require improvement. It is a long high capacity bus stop protected by a bus

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 87 lane that seems to be generally complied with by motorists. It also has barrier- free universal access (i.e. wheelchair ramps), passenger information systems and Rapid Penang staff on site in an office. The Komtar is designed well enough in terms of bus access and egress; it is also one of only two bus stops / terminals in Penang with passenger infor- mation systems (the other being Hub Bukit Jambul), but it appears to be Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 poorly regarded by its users. It could certainly be better lit inside, and the food court could also be air-conditioned and closed off to the diesel fumes, but there is little space for additional facilities, and creating space might adversely affect bus movements and reliability.The associated bus stop in Jalan Penang has to accommodate most of the northbound routes that use four lanes of bus stops within the Komtar on their southbound journey. It is not protected by a bus lane and effectively has space for two buses, as there are traffic signals either side of it (the signalized junction of Jalan Penang &Lebuh Tek Soon in front, and a pedestrian crossing immediately behind). There are single yellow lines outside the shop houses before and after the bus stop, where cars are often parked. An immediate and easy mitigation to congestion problems at the Jalan Penang bus stop is to create a high capacity bus stop, similar to that already in use at Hub Bukit Jambul. This would involve the implementation of a bus lane; the relocation of the pedestrian crossing a little further south to provide three parallel bus bays; and better signing, marking and enforcement of parking restrictions. A longer-term solution to congestion problems at the Jalan Penang bus stop might be to remove it altogether and re-route north- bound buses under the Komtar, closer to the southbound bus terminal on Jalan Ria. This would be quite a complicated initiative, which would need careful study and planning, and would include the following components;

– Removal of the Jalan Penang bus stop and re-routeing of northbound buses to Jalan Ria, where a high capacity bus stop could be provided opposite the Komtar us terminal, before a return to Jalan Penang via Lebuh Tek Soon. – Small section of contra-flow bus lane on Jalan Magazine, which currently has six lanes of westbound traffic. – No change to bus routes heading south along Jalan Penang, but existing southbound buses using Lebuh Carnarvon and Jalan Magazine could be re-routed to avoid a currently very serpentine access to the Komtar bus terminal. – Possible restrictions on Jalan Ria for buses and local access only to loading and parking (this would require detailed study and modelling of access to underground car parks and goods vehicle loading bays, and how traffic circulation could be optimise to serve all Komtar users in this respect).

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– Related to the last point, optional creation of a clockwise gyratory system for mixed traffic around the Komtar to create a simpler system, although the proposal also works with the existing arrangement of two- way traffic flow on the eastern perimeter road (Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong). Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 Network Integration Network integration, both at the planning stages and at the operational stage (such as guaranteed interchanges), but also in terms of the co-ordination of infrastructures and main interchanges at the investment stage is useful. Network integration is then often interpreted as the creation of a structure where each public transport mode fulfils a specific role within the system, making use of its relative advantages. A related keyword is ‘coordination’, as network integration also relates to the links between long-distance public transport networks and local public transport networks (including specialized public transport services). Headway variance of bus arrivals at terminals is also influenced by delays en route, such as traffic congestion, and the results for bus arrivals at terminals were markedly worse than those for arrivals, suggesting that this is a problem on Penang Island. Journey speed analysis for the core routes of the recommended Transport Master Plan Strategy for Penang State found a great deal of random variation in speeds throughout the day for all corridors, suggesting saturated traffic conditions. The lower speeds were found on the more built-up and congested corridors of Penang Island, and although the minimum speeds observed on the mainland were close to the target 20kph, they also showed the same unpredictable variations. Bus journey speeds were also investigated for buses crossing George Town between Weld Quay and the Komtar, and were found to be markedly lower for routes using the south- eastern section of Lebuh Chulia, where three sets of traffic signals have been observed to significantly delay buses throughout the day. Assessment of infrastructure and facilities found that many of the streets plied by buses in Penang are not suitable for the development of physical bus priority measures, such as bus lanes or high-occupancy-vehicle lanes, as they are too narrow. These measures would ideally require divided three-lane carriageways, in order to accommodate two lanes per direction for mixed traffic, to allow for accidents, breakdowns and the passing of emergency vehi- cles, etc. As well as the issue with narrow streets, bus lanes may also be subject to congestion caused by illegal parking or loading encroachments, if not properly regulated, which are already a problem on the narrower streets. Additionally, motorists’ compliance with bus lanes is related to the number of buses running along them. A bus lane with few buses is likely to be encroached, and a general rule-of-thumb warrant for a bus lane is one bus per

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 89 minute, or 60 per hour for the period of operation, although this can be reduced in places like Singapore, where motorists’ compliance is good. Traffic signals in Penang also appear to have long cycle times and no coordi- nation between junctions close to each other, which can cause delays and bunching of buses.

Physical bus priority measures are not going to be possible without the Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 longer-term highway investments scheduled in the recommended Transport Master Plan Strategy for Penang State. Even then, these improved roads will not support most of the existing bus routes, and may arguably avoid the dense urban areas that generate bus patronage (i.e. by diversion, flyover or under- pass). Bus priority measures are possible, however, in terms of traffic signal improvements throughout the state. On key bus route corridors, particularly those of the master plan core routes, vehicle actuation by buses at signals could be implemented, to advance green phases when approaching buses are detected. Bus priority measures through traffic signal improvements can also be made by coordinating signals over groups of junctions close to each other. The George Town journey speed analysis identified three sets of traffic signals on Lebuh Chulia, where bus speeds would benefit from such an improvement. This is a key route section for many buses based at the Weld Quay terminal. En-route delays are also caused by parking problems, and this problem is also particularly acute in Lebuh Chulia. Although this single carriageway road is wide enough for two lanes of traffic and parallel parking on either side, once the shops start opening their doors from 10 am, there are often instances of cars and goods vehicles double-parking outside shops and businesses, which brings traffic to a halt. As this area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it would be inappropriate to recommend the building of large off-street parking facilities, so this problem needs to be solved by the proper enforce- ment of existing parking regulations.

Ticketing and Fare Integration An integrated ticket system is based on the principle of a joint ticketing ‘throughfare’ to allow passengers to complete their journeys without any additional charge for transferring from one mode to another in an integrated public transport system. Fare integration enables passengers to use a single fare card to facilitate multiple transit service with transferring between modes. An integrated fare should be kept at a reasonable cost level for compa- rable trips. To enable the system to succeed, the provision of fare discounts and concessions should be made, i.e. the total fare must be lower than the sum of individual fares when more than one mode is involved. The higher the level of concessions and discounts, the greater the attraction provided to passen- gers. Although passengers can transfer within the network, the number of

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 90 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad transfers within a time period needs to be specified. There is no integrated fare in bus services on Penang Island. Thus, passengers need to pay for transfer from one mode to another. But there is an alternative way for passengers. In order to attract more people to use the public transport system as well as enhance co-ordination, bus services operators are encouraged to give discounts to passengers. Passengers are offered different levels of transfer Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 discounts on trips through interchange schemes between buses and other participating transport modes with the use of smartcard. To some extent, an interchanging scheme is generally welcomed by passengers because they can enjoy fare discounts and convenient interchanging locations. It has previously been recommended that Rapid Penang should ensure that it is very beneficial for passengers to use their proposed new smartcard electronic ticketing system, and not continue to pay cash at the fare box. In Singapore, the cash fare starts at about 70% higher than the stored value smartcard fare for the first two stages of bus trips up to 4.2 km; and gradually reduces to about 20% higher for trips of 40 km. Affordability of fares is a large and detailed study in itself, but general comparisons can be made between the fares of Rapid Penang and Rapid KL. The fares for Rapid KL have been approximated from the zone-based fare system operating in the capital, but they appear generally equivalent to those paid in Penang. Although the initial starting fare is more expensive in Penang, fares in KL increase with shorter distance (SPAD 2015). It is understood that salaries are generally higher in the capital, but also that the cost of living is lower in Penang. It is difficult to tell at a glance whether the roughly equivalent fares could be seen to be less affordable in Penang, although this might explain the very low mode share for public trans- port. This might also infer that there is not much scope for increasing the fares alongside the implementation of electronic ticketing in Penang. Penang’s distance-based fare increases are in the second group of cities. While it has just been suggested that there may not be much scope for increasing the fares alongside the implementation of electronic ticketing in Penang, there may be scope to adjust the increase of cash fares with distance, to provide the previ- ously recommended discount for the proposed new smartcard electronic tick- eting system in terms of the cash fare.

Information Integration Bus services should provide a higher level of services and facilities to passen- gers. Passengers should be able to obtain information about all alternative forms of public transport easily and conveniently. Information must be displayed at stations, bus terminals and interchange areas. Passengers should also be able to obtain up-to-date information through customer hotlines, brochures, the Internet and a passenger information display board. Effort

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 91 should be taken to develop a comprehensive transport information system of public transport services which should provide a table of fares, routes infor- mation, departure times and arrival times. Marketing theory proposes that an organization’s marketing strategy can be visualized in terms of a “marketing mix” of initiatives to distinguish it from its competitors. This marketing mix was described in terms of the “Four P’s” and has been used by marketers Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 throughout the world ever since ‘Product, Price, Place and Promotion’ (see Fig. 3). The following information has been made available for review during this study at the Rapid Penang website, information currently available at bus terminals and bus stops and a proposed new bus stop poster. The Rapid Penang website has the following information available such as pertaining to stored value cards, bus route diagrams, schedules, a trip planner with a draw- down menus of options; “places of interest” function with a draw-down menu of options, bus stop estimated time of arrival functions using the bus stop code as input and information on fares and concessions.

FIGURE 3 The Marketing Mix Four P’s Source: SPAD 2016

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 92 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad

There is, however, very little information available at bus stops if Hub Bukit Jambul is not included in this classification. Some bus stops do not even have a Rapid Penang post and logo, to inform the travelling public that stage buses actually stop there (and so could be confused with other / private street furniture). The problem is understood to be that the bus shelters themselves are owned and operated by a third-party organization, which owns the adver- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 tising rights. Rapid Penang would have to pay the advertising rate to post bus service information on the panels of the bus shelters, although it is allowed to erect and place its own signs at the sides. The websites related to other public transport systems around the region are not necessarily as user-friendly as they could be, and it is suggested that Rapid Penang could better take their cue from Google Maps. This has a free- form text entry, with auto prompt for common entries, which is much easier and more flexible to use than a draw-down menu of options (which would also have to be regularly maintained). Rapid Penang staff has also suggested creating more special apps for use with mobile phones. These online initia- tives are likely to be of value to the younger potential passengers, but students and the older school children have been observed to be a significant source of ridership in places around the region; thus, there is no reason why Rapid Penang should not specifically target some marketing at this group as well as any other group it identifies. Other potential improvements to information provision / promotion fall into the following categories: including information on street, information at major nodes and information elsewhere. Information on street primarily concerns bus stops which have been previously discussed to be an issue in the way information / advertising is managed. Despite this, Rapid Penang has proposed a new bus stop poster with a great deal of useful information on it. Both the proposed poster and additional advertising content would have to be specifically prepared for each bus stop, and so would represent a significant effort and cost for Rapid Penang, with each poster representing a limited catchment of potential viewers. There is also the issue of updating / main- taining the information at each individual bus stop, or changing it when a new traffic management scheme affects bus routes, as happened in George Town during the study. A glass or Perspex bus stop sign casing with inserted paper signage would appear to be the most cost-effective way of dealing with this issue. A more cost-effective initiative might be to develop the provision of information at major nodes, or key attractors and generators of potential bus patronage. This includes the existing bus terminals, where Rapid Penang already have good information provision, but could also be centres of dense population & employment; hospitals; it also includes universities, institu- tions with public access, shopping malls, etc. Information elsewhere covers all other forms of information dispersal, such as newspapers, radio, televi-

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 93 sion; as well as direct marketing techniques by leaflets, brochures or promo- tional campaigns with sales staff at selected locations. However, advertising rates in the traditional media, as well as the costs of the other potential initia- tives, are likely to be prohibitive. These sorts of promotion could be carried out in partnership with other organizations, particularly those seeking to gain

“green credentials” by partnering with sustainable transport. The media could Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 be used to advertise specific bus-related promotions, like the current Thaipusam bus service, such as free days on selected bus routes to encourage people to use them and find out where they go. Rapid Penang should provide free-form text data entry for their search functions, and investigate the possi- bility of using interactive maps for providing online bus route information. Rapid Penang should carefully study affordability of fares in Penang, together with opportunities for differentiating those paid using the proposed new smartcard electronic ticketing system, and those paid by cash. Rapid Penang should initially focus on providing additional information on bus services at major nodes, or key generators and attractors of public transport (such as bus terminals; centres of dense population & employment; hospitals and univer- sities; institutions with public access, as well as shopping malls, etc.), as these are likely to be more cost effective than providing information at bus stops, or in other forms of media.

Institutional Integration There are many agencies at the central level involved in public transport. The involvement of too many authorities with unclear scope and function is another source of problems. The regulatory bodies including local authorities can produce plans, but without an agreement or clearer definition of their respective jurisdiction the plans are likely to fail. The authority, through the regulatory bodies, appears to lack the authority to plan and implement appro- priate public transport policy. Other issues contributing to this present state of deficiency are inadequate planning resources (staff) and the lack of local involvement in the public transport planning. Whether or not the functions of the existing authority are clearly defined, the operators on the other hand still have to keep the bus transport services operating (Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad 2013). With the exception of Penang, none of the local authorities in Malaysia is given the responsibility to undertake the task of planning the transport system for their respective areas. The present organizational structure actually widens the gaps of planning and implementation between both the central and local agencies. Public must be coordinated and further improved, depending on the development of the comprehensive strategy or specifically the Public Transport Plan, which perhaps includes a mixture of improvement infrastructure, greatly improved marketing system for public

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 94 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad transport, better public transport services, reorganized and streamlined public transport at strategic level. It should also include provision of guidelines and improved statutory requirements for the planning of the public transport, the encouragement for the local authorities in the planning and control of the public transport, the increased number of transport personnel through vigorous training and also the integration of the public transport with urban Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 development. In order for the urban public transport system to be improved, it must have the support of the public, the politicians and co-operation from the Federal Government. The Penang Government believes that collaboration and partnership between different parties, including government, private sectors and transport operators, are an important key to implementing transport planning. Heavy investment is needed to develop and improve public transport, particularly the bus system. Allowing partnership can be a way to raise funding and enlarge the system (Penang Transport Masterplan 2013). On Penang Island, since 2007 public transport is predominantly by bus services and mainly owned and operated by Rapid Penang. Integration cannot be sustained in the absence of an effective institutional framework. Bus routes were rationalized to achieve this purpose. Through this process, the recommended transport master plan strategy for Penang State anticipated that close to point-to-point services might be provided to commuters. Throughout the network, passengers can enjoy integrated ticketing, routing and passenger information.

Improvements and Integration of the Bus Services Arising from this research into the integration concepts are numerous impli- cations for those involved in the planning for – and policy of – public trans- port. A number of implications were also evident in terms of policies relating to bus services provided for passengers in general.

Convenience, simplicity and reliability Integrated public transport delivers fast, frequent, reliable services to passen- gers. Service frequency, coverage and operating hours can be synchronized into a standard. It also provides easy access to more destinations and enables people to access the places they want. Accessibility is improved as the network develops in central or strategic growth areas. Feeder services promote easy access to main transport points and offer choices of transport mode to passengers. Integrated ticket makes travel easier and simpler to passengers. The provision of adequate facilities makes the journey safer, comfortable and convenient. The results of an integrated public transport system are a better quality, fair, equitable, and safe system for people. Integration will reduce cost and hence the fare. Healthy competition will maintain a reasonable fare and assure passengers’ choice. Fare will be set at

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 95 an economical level. The introduction of rebate for transferring and zoning will benefit passengers. As such, many of the existing bus routes are circuitous, serving a series of destinations, and consequently having extended journey times. In many loca- tions closer to the city centres, there is also extensive duplication between Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 routes, with several bus routes travelling within the same bus corridor. Similarly, the current vehicular/passenger ferry service between Butterworth and George Town treats passengers very much as second-class users, limiting their usage to certain services and providing a sub-standard travel experience. Moving forward, a much more integrated, simplified, efficient, passenger-friendly public transport network needs to be created. To achieve this a series of new design principles have been developed and adopted. These design principles are set out below.

a Establishment of core network that is frequent, simple, direct and easily understood; b Provision of a network of regular feeder services; c The promotion of operating efficiency; d The need for a hierarchy of services; e Provision of convenient transfers and good network accessibility; f Provision of adequate and up-to-date information

There are a range of considerations in developing bus services capable of implementation, such as current provision, planning goals, viability and value for money, and network change mechanisms and processes (SPAD 2016). To understand the primary goal is to increase the mode share for busing, through providing a more attractive service for existing and potential passengers. The study also recognizes that the nature of the districts to be considered vary widely in their character, from major urban centres to large rural areas. Smartcard is a stored value ticket and is being widely used in various public transports modes. An integrated ticket can be achieved by means of the smartcard. Rebate for making transfers cannot be offered easily without using a smartcard. It can be seen that integration may not be favoured by a passenger who does not use a smartcard. Therefore, different integrated tickets should be available to passengers. They include stored-value card, and daily, weekly, monthly and season tickets. Except for an integrated ticket, a single mode ticket must be available to public transport users who may only need a single mode to complete their journey. Although this may be contradicted by the principle of an integrated ticket, such choices should be available to passengers. All tickets should be available for purchase at all stations of a ferry and bus, shops, supermarkets and shop- ping malls. Experience from Singapore and Hong Kong indicates that an inte- grated ticket reduces operating cost and improves efficiency. It is anticipated

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 96 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad that an integrated ticket would cover all transport modes.

Frequent Services and Easy Access for Passengers The operators between bus services and ferry should promote an integrated service and more frequent service. The operating characteristics of operators Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 can then be closely integrated, such as operation hours, headways, rolling stock and interchange points, route design stops, service coverage and frequency. And they can provide a more integrated service, convenient inter- change and barriers free environment to passengers. Through the removal of interchange ticket gates, passengers not only can enjoy a seamless transfer and fast journey between two terminals or bus station but also can save costs for a second boarding charge when making transfer at interchange points of two networks. At the same time, bus services should be restructured to inte- grate with ferry operation. Unnecessary overlap services should be reduced and more direct routes should provide for areas without sufficient public transport services. These include routes planning, operating hours, fare read- justment, relocation of bus stops, location of transfer points and service infor- mation. More frequent services should be maintained during peak hours. In addition, headway should be kept to a level to meet the commuters’ needs, especially for the areas with low demand or outside the catchment of bus services. Peak headways and off-peak headways can be adjusted in order to integrate with ferry operation and meet the demand. In order to provide high frequency bus services, five-minute and ten-minute headways are acceptable at peak and off-peak periods respectively. Transfer time from one mode to another mode is another issue. A five-minute walk for making transfer between the ferry and bus services is generally acceptable. Improvements on the bus network and careful selection of new bus routes are required in order to avoid unnecessary duplication. In areas outside the catchment areas with inadequate bus services, bus feeder service can perform a supplementary role of buses. Bus operators face a problem, i.e. profit has been lowered due to the opening of new bus route lines. Thus, from the profit viewpoint, bus feeder services should perform a supplementary role to bus services rather than a competitive role against them. Although the capacity of a bus feeder service is low and rapid growth of bus feeders may cause traffic congestion, its function is recognized by passengers. There is no doubt that people should be given a fair choice of transport modes as far as possible. As traffic congestion may lead to unrelia- bility of bus feeder service, five minutes headway is required to meet ferry services at peak periods. Appropriate discounts or concessions should be given to passengers for interchanging. Bus services should be maintained at high frequency on some high-demand routes and also during peak periods. The services, especially in some suburban and rural areas, should ensure

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 97 frequency standards at all times. Normally, the standard of service punctuality of bus services on Penang Island is not acceptable, unless caused by incidents or accidents. Frequent causes of poor punctuality include problems of overhead line or signal and bus breakdowns. Bus operators should look into these matters. Suitable tech- nical and workmanship improvements should be made to maintain the relia- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 bility of the system. Regular maintenance should be carried out to avoid unreliability. Passengers frequently complain about bus operators for their poor customer services and quality. Reliability, frequency and punctuality are their big concerns. Improvement to bus services is needed in different areas such as frequency of service, reliability, safety and comfort. The rationaliza- tion of bus services and bus stops is a major initiative for integration. Road congestion may be a cause for unreliable bus service. Therefore, the govern- ment should take action to support integration. It must reduce road barriers to bus services. The provision of bus lanes, transit lanes and bus priority measures should help bus services to be more punctual even in busy areas at peak periods. More transit lanes should be provided for buses to enable them to move more freely with convenient and easily accessible interchanges. One purpose of an integrated network is to provide easy access to public transport to enable people to have easy access to their residences, jobs, recre- ation and social activities. A transport network integrated with land develop- ment and urban services should benefit social and economic activities. Future planning of residential, commercial and activity centres should be coordi- nated with planning of public transport stations and stops. Proposed new road infrastructure should also be integrated or connected with existing public transport networks. The housing development strategy has been changed into a population density lower than previously planned. Riderships on bus are lower than expected when compared with other bus stations in Bukit Jambul HUB and Balik Pulau Station, because the latter two stations are situated near residential areas, shopping centres as well as main transport hubs. Hence, stations and land use should be properly planned and integrated in order to serve the target population.

Coordinated Physical Integration On Penang Island, most of the public interchanges are located adjacent to main transport hubs. Better physical integration between operators can be smoothly implemented depending on whether convenient interchanges are provided. Good public transport interchanges provide more convenience and close connectivity to facilitate intermodal transfers. Under integration, bus services will provide feeder services to bus terminals, and frequent services from bus terminals to major destinations should also be maintained regularly to synchronize service connections. In order to reduce waiting times, the oper-

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 98 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad

ating hours and timetables between services should be optimized. It must be ensured that the first scheduled service and last scheduled service between modes are fully synchronized. The arrival and departure times of bus services and between modes should be coordinated with each other. The gap between first arrival and second departure should not be over five minutes at peak

period. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 In order to enhance service, the service coverage and routes of bus services and between modes should be designed to maximize the coverage and minimize the walking distance of passengers. The design of future bus terminals should achieve the aim to shorten walking distances and also between closely connected stage buses and feeder buses. Stops of bus services must be designed and located to provide wider coverage to enable easy pick- up and drop-off of passengers. Bus stops or major bus transfer stops should be situated nearby between modes at the stations or within short walking distance of less than five minutes to destinations. Passengers are thereby given easy access to nearby bus stations and transfers from bus services to other feeder modes through interchange. For proper planning, less than ten minutes to an interchange station should be an acceptable level (see Table 1 and Table 2).

TABLE 1 TABLE 2 Walking Time for Making Transfer between Walking Time for Origin to Public Transport Jetty and Bus Services Interchange

No. Walking Time Level of Rank No. Walking Time Level of Rank 1. Up to 5 minutes Rank 1 1. Up to 5 minutes Rank 1 2. 5 to 10 minutes Rank 2 2. 5 to 10 minutes Rank 2 3. 10 to 15 minutes Rank 3 3. 10 to 15 minutes Rank 3 4. More than 15 minutes Rank 4 4. More than 15 minutes Rank 4 Integration will facilitate closer economic and social linkages with the mainland. With continual growth in the mainland’s economy, Penang Island has benefited from integration with the mainland, especially the Butterworth and George Town metropolitan areas. The social and economic development of Penang Island and are closely interrelated. A ne+w trans- port network needs to meet rapidly increasing cross-boundary demand. The planning of infrastructure must be taken into account to enhance the future cross-boundary passenger demands. Pulau Pinang not only needs to improve transport infrastructure but also should achieve an integrated public transport system in order to make a contribution to future cooperation and coordination with the mainland. Penang Island needs to reinforce its public transport system by integration to radiate out from the city and link up the inner cities of the mainland. After the opening of Penang Sentral, Penang Sentral’s terminal will perform an important role to expand linking facilities in order to

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 99 shorten the distance between two places. It will also highlight a step toward a coordinated and integrated transport network with the Seberang Perai Region. Moreover, tourists from the mainland are steadily on the increase. A better public transport system will enhance tourism, especially in regard to tourists from Penang Island. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 Fair and Reasonable Fare On Penang Island, fully integrated fare does not exist. Partnership between railway (Butterworth), ferry and bus services may make a significant contri- bution to integrated fare. Public transport operators have individually used their own system of fare zones. If integration service can be undertaken, fare and zone system should be restructured. Fares need be aligned, including concessions and discounts. Reorganization of zoning will reduce duplicate fare charging. Proposed combined network should be divided into a set of zones and based on the distance in kilometres between zones. Fare should be calculated by the number of zones being made for journey and the fare should be kept at reasonable levels. Although passengers can make free transfer within of an integrated network, limitations should be taken into account to prevent abuse. The number of transfers should be limited within a specified time period. Transferring discounts should be allowed, such as rebates offered to all ticket holders in an integrated public transport system. Concession fares to people age over the age of 60, full-time students and children should continue.

Quality Facilities Attractive park and ride schemes will reduce traffic congestion and environ- mental impact. Park and ride facilities should be planned but they are not absolutely essential on Penang Island because of the relatively short journeys. Since they only benefit a limited number, it is better to utilize such resources to improve the public transport system. In rural areas, the provision of park facilities for bicycles is more useful and welcome. Bike riding is becoming popular in some rural areas because of inad- equate public transport services. Illegal bicycle parking near stations or main transport hubs is common. Park-and-ride schemes can be strengthened to provide parking facilities for bikers. This should help better integrate cycling with public transport. The waiting environment at bus stops is not ideal. Most stops lack weather protection and are not in a good condition. Some stops are not conspicuously located owing to lack of clear signposting. Therefore, waiting facilities at stops need to be improved and upgraded, including measures such as weatherproof shelter, an emergency telephone, a clear direc- tion sign, public transport maps/directories, a clear service information board and passenger information display board. There are also advantages for design

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) 100 Azfizan Aziz and Jamilah Mohamad of stops to be standardized and located at noticeable locations. In order to attract more people to better use the public transport system, safer and more convenient pedestrian facilities must be provided for accessing interchanges or main transport hubs. Provision of quality pedes- trian connections is essential to link up district centres to public transport hubs stations, including weatherproof pedestrian facilities and bridges. The design Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/22/1-2/78/2598368/1480-6800_22_1_78.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 of road crossings and footpaths should aim to maintain passenger safety and connectivity in order to shorten the distance to main transport points.

Integrated Information Integrated information on public transport modes should be made available with route numbers, headway, fare and zone, timetables, locations of stops and stations as well as connection services. In addition, accurate, clear and updated information on the use of an intelligent transport system and infor- mation technology system can help passengers make better decisions for their travel.

Institutional Integration The extent of integration depends on the relationship between three key oper- ators. They are railway, ferry and bus services. Better coordination can be secured by institutional integration. Initially, this can be achieved through the merger and opportunities for a partnership proposal between bus, ferry and railway. Institutional integration should facilitate central planning of service levels, coordinated timetables between services, coordinated major routes, implementing an integrated ticket system, and maintaining standard fares, concessions and zones.

Conclusion On Penang Island, public transport, most especially bus services, need to be upgraded and improved. Making the network easier and service more reliable through integration is required. The partnership between modes can make a significant contribution to integration and also can be a step towards fully integrated public transport. Railway (Butterworth), ferry and bus services should be coordinated with each other to achieve modal integration. The inte- gration of public transport takes time and funds to achieve. It faces many obstacles and fulfils the aim of integration and solves the difficulties; a collab- orative and cooperative platform should be provided by the government and the operators. Although an integrated public transport system will support our society and economy, its impacts need to be considered. Therefore, the local government and SPAD need to develop a balanced public transport strategy to address the challenges on Penang Island. Good planning, co-ordination and collaboration between the government and operators are important criteria to

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arabe Vol 22, no 1-2 (2019) Bus Public Transport Improvements and Service Integration 101 achieve the aim. SPAD with the public is necessary to minimize social exclu- sion and enhance social cohesion.

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