MPPP Rapid Penang CAT Free Shuttle Bus

Hop On Free Central Area Transit

NEW! Bridge Express Shuttle Transit, the new free park-and-ride shuttle bus between Sunway Carnival and the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone. Read all about it!

MPPP Rapid Penang CAT is a free shuttle bus service that ply the streets of George Town. It was launched on Friday, 23 January, 2009. CAT, which stands for Central Area Transit, is an initiative of the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and Rapid Penang. It covers a route from Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay) to Penang Road and back. Along the way, it makes 19 stops at strategic points of interest. The service runs from 6:00 am in the morning until 12:00 am midnight. Apart from the route around Komtar, the shuttle service ply roads within the core and buffer zones of the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site.

MPPP Rapid Penang CAT Free Shuttle Bus (23 January, 2009)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Rapid Penang has prepared three air-conditioned buses which were specially painted with the CAT livery for easy recognition. In front of the bus as a "Hop On Free" sign. On the sides are the words "City Hop On" and "Central Area Transit". The 19 bus stops along the route have also been properly signaged. The bus stops are numbered to help visitors identify their location vis-a-vis the tourist attractions of the vicinity.

City Hop On - Livery of the shuttle bus (23 January, 2009)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Penang Travel Tips lauds the introduction of this free shuttle service and gladly provide our resources to help make it successful. Through the Rapid Penang CAT Free Shuttle Bus services, visitors to George Town will be able to explore the sights in comfort without even paying a sen to move around.

Central Area Transit (CAT) signage (23 January, 2009)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Sightseeing with Rapid Penang CAT Free Shuttle Bus

Find out what you can expect to see when you take Rapid Penang CAT Free Shuttle Bus for sightseeing Penang.

Please feel free to print out for your own personal use

MPPP Rapid Penang CAT Shuttle Bus Map

The Route

The Central Area Transit Shuttle Bus starts at the bus stop No.1 at Weld Quay. From there, it goes along Weld Quay, making one stop at the Ferry Bus Terminal. Then it continues and turns right at Chulia Street Ghaut. At the next junction, it turns right into Victoria Street. At the end of Victoria Street, it turns left into China Street Ghaut. At the next junction, it turns right into Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai). There are two bus stops at Beach Street, in front of OCBC and in front of Standard Chartered.

Ferry Bus Terminal (Stop No. 2) signage (23 January, 2009)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

From Beach Street, the Central Area Transit Shuttle Bus continues into Light Street, turning left at the roundabout. From Light Street, it turns left into Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling), then right into Farquhar Street, at the Penang Supreme Court. Bus stop No. 6 is in front of the Penang Museum. From Farquhar Street, it continues into Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road) and then turns left into Penang Road. It goes along Penang Road until the junction with Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong (Prangin Road), where it turns left. Next, it makes a right turn at Jalan Ria to enter Komtar. It stops at the Komtar Bus Terminal, and then exits Komtar, turning right at Magazine Road.

From Magazine Road, the Central Area Transit Shuttle Bus turns right into Penang Road again, where there's a stop in front of Ong Kongsi. From there, it continues along Penang Road and turn turns left into Burmah Road, and then right again at Transfer Road. At the next traffic lights, the bus turns right into Hutton Lane. At the end of Hutton Lane, it turns right into Penang Road once more time, continues along Penang Road and then turns left into Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong (Prangin Road) again.

Next, the bus turns left and enters Carnarvon Street. It goes along Carnarvon Street until the junction with Kampung Kaka, where it turns right. It goes along Kampung Kaka, and into Kampung Kolam, where it makes a stop. From Kampung Kolam, it enters Pitt Street. At St George's Church, it turns left into Farquhar Street again, and then makes a right turn into Light Street. It goes along Light Street until the roundabout, and then turns into Beach Street. Following that, it turns left at the next junction into Downing Street. The bus makes a final stop at Downing Street before reentering Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay) to restart the journey.

Bus Stops and Sights

The following are the numbered bus stops and the sights to see along the way. It will be impossible to visit all the sights listed. My suggestion is you do a bit of homework. Read about each of the sights to select those you wish to visit (click the links for details with maps). Then take the bus to each stop. Visit some sights, walk along the way, and then catch the next bus at a subsequent bus stop.

1 - Pengkalan Weld

Swettenham Pier

Church Street Pier

2 - Feri

Pengkalan Tun Raja Uda

Wisma Yeap Chor Ee

Wisma Kastam

3 - Little India

Pinang Peranakan Mansion

Chung Keng Kwee Ancestral Temple

Penang Heritage Trust

4 - Imigresen

Immigration Building

Standard Chartered Building

HSBC Building

Royal Bank of Scotland (formerly ABN Amro Bank)

Logan's Building

Whiteways Building

5 - Bank Negara

Bank Negara Malaysia

House of Yeap Chor Ee

Town Hall

City Hall

Fort Cornwallis (inc. Francis Light Statue & Lighthouse)

Cenotaph

Dewan Sri Pinang

Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Bank Negara Malaysia

17 - Dewan Sri Pinang

18 - Kota Cornwallis

State Assembly Building

House of Yeap Chor Ee

Foo Tye Sin Mansion

Fort Cornwallis (inc. Francis Light Statue & Lighthouse)

19 - Lebuh Downing

General Post Office

Islamic Council Building

HSBC Building

Standard Chartered Building

New! Rapid Penang Tourist Passport

The free shuttle bus allows you to explore George Town, but now you can explore the entire Penang State for only RM20.00, for a whole week! Get the Rapid Penang Tourist Passport, available at selected outlets. It allows you unlimited travel on the buses for a whole week. For details, click on Rapid Penang Tourist Passport.

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