BUTTERWORTH: Work on the RM2 billion Penang Sentral, a transportation hub modelled after Kuala Lumpur Sentral, is expected to begin early next year.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the project would be completed by 2015.

The first phase, which includes the construction of bus and taxi terminals as well as retail outlets, will be ready by 2011. It will cost about RM300 million.

The subsequent phases are commercial in nature.

"The project will comprise an integrated terminal for rail, road and sea travel and is one of several major projects aimed at strengthening Penang's role as a logistics and transportation hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER)," Nor Mohamed said yesterday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi performed the ground-breaking ceremony for Penang Sentral last August.

The project, located on a 12.8ha site, is jointly undertaken by Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Berhad (PHBB) and Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB).

Nor Mohamed said the Penang Sentral temporary bus terminal marked an important milestone after plans to develop the site hit a snag over the past seven years.

It will replace the terminal, built under a flyover, after a fire gutted the three-storey bus complex owned by the Penang Port Commission in 2001.

Penang Sentral will be a welcome relief for commuters who have been complaining about the deplorable conditions at the existing terminal.

Penang Sentral Sdn Bhd chairman Kamalul Arifin Othman said the completion of Penang Sentral would help maintain the same service without disrupting their lifestyle.

The terminal can accommodate 28 bus platforms and 46 taxi bays. It is designed to handle up to 4,500 passengers a day. It is managed by Semasa Sentral Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of MRCB and the operator of Kuala Lumpur Sentral station.