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| Photo credit: Rapid Penang |
The article was about bus travel in Penang, and to say it was full of inaccuracies is putting it kindly. Now, to be fair, there are some truths in it, such as; it's a great option, inexpensive and has wonderfully cold air con.
The article also mentions that petty theft can happen although not often in Penang, and that some of the drivers drive fast which can be dangerous if you are not holding on. These are things that are accurate in most of the world and I agree they are accurate here as well.
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I also understand that we all have a different sense of reality and perspective regarding things like travel, but I felt this article's claims were offensive to the island, country, and general region. The article also had a hint of an elitist tone that begged a more honest and open perspective to be written.
In general, compared to the rest of SE Asia, Penang is cleaner, safer, and generally easier to travel around in. All of SE Asia is beautiful and adventurous, but Penang stands out as a great spot to be in, particularly if you are just starting out on travel to Asia. Most people speak English, the food is incredibly tasty, inexpensive and safe, and travel in the cities and throughout the country is very orderly.
So it was with utter confusion that I read this newest installment from Soul Travelers 3 on the bus system here in Penang. I will attempt to clarify some of the inaccuracies in the article below (ST3 quotes in italics) along with other traveler's firsthand experiences:
ST3: "The traffic is horrible in Penang, perhaps the worst we have seen on our world travels and we have also seen the most traffic accidents here."
Here are a few quotes from other travel bloggers about transportation in Penang:
Jennifer from Edventure Project said:
"Driving in Penang was incredibly easy. The roads are well organized and reasonably maintained, by Asian standards. There are some twisty curvy bits along the coast, but nothing unexpected. The cars were well maintained, there were fewer motorcycles and animals in the roadway than most other places we've been in Asia and the traffic lights all worked! Parking was easy. All in all, Penang is one of the more "put together" places we've visited in Southeast Asia and would be an excellent and easy place for someone new to Asia to get their feet wet and build confidence in the community and on the roads."
Ana from Port Landings says:
"My family and I spent weeks in Penang last year and took buses everywhere. While there is traffic at certain times of day, the buses are clean, cheap and reliable. I never witnessed accidents or anyone getting hurt. I never saw rats or other vermin either. I found the buses in Penang to follow first-world standards. Buses sometimes ran late, but they always stopped for me and my family."
Tracy from Our Travel Lifestyle said:
"Penang has become this wonderland of public transport, especially if you were on the 101 route that serviced Georgetown – Batu Ferringhi/Teluk Bahang (exactly where most visitors to Penang want to go between) where buses come every 10 minutes. Admittedly Rapid Penang, the company running the buses, claims that they run every five minutes but every ten minutes isn’t too bad."
ST3 - "very bloody injuries are common to see. A car running over a foot or a neighbor with her teeth knocked out by a moto accident is every day life here"
I also agree that accidents happen, as they do in every corner of the world. But this quote seems a bit overboard. It shows a total lack of understanding of the words 'common' and 'everyday'. Of course these things happen, like they do everywhere, but the notion that it is more common here or that it happens everyday is simply absurd! I have spent in total 6 months here and have seen a grand total of 1 accident. The roads function differently then most in the US, but it works. And to be honest, the system here seems to allow for the drivers to be MORE, not less, aware of the activity around them.
I have driven in Penang by car and by motorbike, and I have also spent a fair amount of time on the buses. In my experience over the past year "bloody accidents" are by no means common. And they certainly do not happen any more here then in other areas of Asia.
Erin from Travel with Bender said:
"We've been driving in Penang for a month now and we love it. It's actually very easy. We have driven in Bali, where there are no road rules and the traffic is motorbike crazy. We've sat in the worst traffic in Manila, where one way is 1/2 an hour, back is 2 hours. We've also been in similar situations in Bangkok where one taxi ride is 10 mins there, but 1.5 hours back. Or even take driving in KL, where there are three roads on top of each other and getting lost is a daily drama.
However Penang has been a dream. Sure they have their moments of scooters on the wrong side, cars merging lanes without signalling, but isn't that Asia? In this last month I have seen one motorbike accident near the airport, otherwise it's been a very safe journey. The Penang people are so aware of everything around them because of the free merging that it just seems to run seamlessly. The traffic can be a bit slow during peak periods from BF to Georgetown, but never hours on end and always crawling at least. My favorite part is that there is no road rage, people don't honk their horn, flip the birdie or tailgate. They just get on with driving and going where they need to go. We will continue driving for another month while we are here and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone."
Sara Weber had this to say:
"I have lived in Penang on 2 different occasions. Our first time in 2011, my teen son and I soley depended on bus or taxi for transport. This time we are lucky enough to have use of a car. I have not seen a million accidents nor have I met anyone who has ever lost their teeth from a bike incident. Driving here is a skill but it is not a death race each time a person is on the road. Yes, the moto riders are insane at times but that is part of accepting to drive here or anywhere in Asia. There are many, many worse places around the world to be on the roads than Penang."
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| Interior without people, very clean. This is a newer bus decorated for the holidays last month but most look nearly as nice as this! (photo credit: Rapid Penang) |
ST3 also goes on to say, "It is not uncommon to wait an hour or more for a bus."
It has been my experience that we never wait more then 10 minutes. No buses ever pass us by or refuse to let us out, nor have we been overcharged -- all things that ST claims is common. There is a set fare as per the Rapid Penang website, where you can see just what the cost is and also inquire about any passes for longer term stays. You will also find that most drivers are kind, speak English, and like to be helpful. No one has ever sped past us, closed us in the doors, or refused letting us out!
Jill from Going Anyway agrees and says:
"The Penang buses are fantastically wheelchair accessible, the drivers stop the bus to lower the ramp for us, and there is a dedicated wheelchair parking spot. The air conditioning is wonderful. They are by far the best buses we've encountered in Asia."
David from Malaysia Asia said:
"If you're using the old bus system, then there may be problems, like the buses not being reliably on time. But the NEW Rapid Penang Buses are on par with the ones in KL. They are very modern, comfortable and pretty cool. A lot more locals are taking the Rapid Penang Buses these days compared to the older bus system.
It has been my experience that we never wait more then 10 minutes. No buses ever pass us by or refuse to let us out, nor have we been overcharged -- all things that ST claims is common. There is a set fare as per the Rapid Penang website, where you can see just what the cost is and also inquire about any passes for longer term stays. You will also find that most drivers are kind, speak English, and like to be helpful. No one has ever sped past us, closed us in the doors, or refused letting us out!
Jill from Going Anyway agrees and says:
"The Penang buses are fantastically wheelchair accessible, the drivers stop the bus to lower the ramp for us, and there is a dedicated wheelchair parking spot. The air conditioning is wonderful. They are by far the best buses we've encountered in Asia."
David from Malaysia Asia said:
"If you're using the old bus system, then there may be problems, like the buses not being reliably on time. But the NEW Rapid Penang Buses are on par with the ones in KL. They are very modern, comfortable and pretty cool. A lot more locals are taking the Rapid Penang Buses these days compared to the older bus system.
Dana Hoffman Ellis says:
"We thought the Penang bus system was great! Free wifi on most of them, understandable scheduling, and they ran on time!"
Amy from World school adventures says:
"We had a great experience taking the buses during our one week stay in Penang, Malaysia. The buses were extremely cheap, clean, and we never had to wait more than ten minutes to take one. One of our favorite memories on a a bus in Penang was when an older local gentleman sat by my five year old son and gave him a lesson on how to speak the basics in the local language of Bahasa!"
Now where the article gets to an offensive level to me is when Soul Traveler 3 says things like, "Mostly poor people are on the buses, so lots of coughing and such going on. Wash hands always after being on a bus."
"The view from my luxury apartment here is a beautiful sea view, but at ground level from a bus window, most of Penang is third world urban glut and ugly."
"The view from my luxury apartment here is a beautiful sea view, but at ground level from a bus window, most of Penang is third world urban glut and ugly."
Talk about not trying to hide your snobbery and distaste for people less fortunate than yourself!
I understand people see things differently and I try to respect a difference of opinions, but I feel offended for the people of Penang and wanted to set a few things straight. No reputable agency would consider Penang or Malaysia, for that matter, third world.
For the most part, the people of this country are healthy, clean, incredibly kind and tolerant no matter their economic standing. Its infrastructure rivals any first world country. As for Penang itself, there are some dirty areas or liter in places, even some of the drains are open and don't smell very good but that is the exception not the norm.
This writer makes it sound like sub-Saharan Africa or the slums of India, and that simply is not the case. Again, not even close to the truth. Especially when compared to the rest of SE Asia, Penang is a true gem. Clean, modern, easy to manage and certainly not third world. If it wasn't, there'd be no place for "luxury sea-view apartments". It is sad that they see it that way because if you open your eyes to the wonderful things here, all the rest disappears behind it!
For the most part, the people of this country are healthy, clean, incredibly kind and tolerant no matter their economic standing. Its infrastructure rivals any first world country. As for Penang itself, there are some dirty areas or liter in places, even some of the drains are open and don't smell very good but that is the exception not the norm.
This writer makes it sound like sub-Saharan Africa or the slums of India, and that simply is not the case. Again, not even close to the truth. Especially when compared to the rest of SE Asia, Penang is a true gem. Clean, modern, easy to manage and certainly not third world. If it wasn't, there'd be no place for "luxury sea-view apartments". It is sad that they see it that way because if you open your eyes to the wonderful things here, all the rest disappears behind it!
Here is one final quote from ST3 that I wanted to address, "The very WORST part of the buses is getting to them. There are no real sidewalks or crosswalks in Penang, so getting to a bus stop is usually quite the challenging gauntlet that can involve dodging large rats, crossing very busy 4 or 6 lane roads on your own hoping the wild traffic will not run you over...."
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| Typical sidewalk Photo credit: Travel with Bender |
And, yes, there are rats, like in every city in the world, including first world cities. Yet, the idea that they're so abundant in Penang that you must dodge them on the way to the bus stop, is simply false. Making statements like that implies very negative things like Penang is a rat-infested hell hole. Not true, grossly exaggerated, and completely dishonest to their audience.
Theodora from Escape Artistes says:
"The notion that Penang is a third world city is almost as bizarre as the notion that a culture whose dominant language is English, followed by Malay, is a good place to learn Chinese (as opposed to, say, China). It's at the heart of Malaysia's Silicon Valley and there are plenty of highly educated, successful Malaysian professionals -- as well as expats -- who live there."
"We've used buses in Penang on plenty of our visits there. They're an efficient way to get around the island, although you do sometimes have to wait a while. Penang is diverse and popular with tourists, so we haven't always been the only Caucasians on the bus. The buses are faster and the traffic less chaotic than in my home town, London, and the streets are at a similar level of cleanliness."
"I didn't register the economic status of the people who rode the buses, but they certainly weren't poor by national standards. Typically, you'll see a lot of schoolchildren, mums with young kids and the elderly, the same kind of mix you'll find on public transport anywhere during working hours."
"I have never felt the need to wash my hands after riding a bus in Penang. Nor did I catch any hideous diseases. Nor did I notice anyone coughing. If I did feel that buses were full of disease I'd probably hire a car. Driving in Penang is noticeably easier than driving in London, where I'm from, so I'd have no anxieties about that whatsoever."
"I haven't seen any rats in Penang. Given it's a city, there must be some, though, as there are rats in every city in the world, first world, second world, or third world."
"I have never had a problem crossing the road in Penang. Nor has my eleven-year-old son. Where there are traffic lights, they are obeyed."
Pros on buses in Penang
- They are very inexpensive, depending on the distance it is anywhere from $.30 to $3, and smaller children are free.
- They are air conditioned which is wonderful for hot Penang days
- They run frequently and almost always on time
- The drivers speak English making it very easy to navigate as long as you know where you want to go
- They are wheelchair and handicapped accessible
- The buses can get you all over the island although some routes will require multiple buses
- Each bus is clean and seem to be well kept. We have not had a breakdown yet in Malaysia
- By taking public transport you can chat with locals and get a deeper appreciation for the area, in Penang. I have found people to be very friendly and easy to talk to, even for my children.
Cons for Penang buses
- The buses can be late sometimes
- You need to get on and off at designated areas, so this can involve a short walk
- During peak hours there are often no seats left, especially with little children this can be difficult to have to stand.
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| Penang, Pearl of Asia |
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