Penang CAT Free Feeder Bus

CAT Buses, Penang (12 Mei 2018)

Edisi B. Melayu

Penang CAT is a free freeder bus service with 13 routes on Penang Island and Penang Mainland. It started first launched on 23 January, 2009, with one route within the inner city of George Town. At that time "CAT" stood for "Central Area Transit". In 2018, the free bus service was expanded to include 12 more new routes, and the "CAT" acronym was given a different meaning, Congestion Alleviation Transport.

The new Penang CAT free feeder bus service now serves the neighbourhoods of Air Itam, Balik Pulau, Batu Kawan, Bayan Baru, Bukit Mertajam including Alma, Kepala Batas (Bertam), Nibong Tebal, Pulau Tikus, Seberang Jaya and Tanjong Tokong, in addition to two routes within George Town. The original CAT Free Shuttle Bus Service is now CAT George Town Loop 1

Penang CAT Routes

CAT George Town (CT1) is a free bus service that makes a loop within the inner city of George Town.
CAT Air Itam (CT 1A & 1B) is a free bus service in Paya Terubong and Air Itam. It moves in a loop, with CAT Air Itam A going in a clockwise direction and CAT Air Itam B in the anti-clockwise.
CAT Bukit Mertajam (CT2) is a free feeder bus route that forms a loop starting and terminating at the Bukit Mertajam Bus Terminal.
CAT Balik Pulau (CT3) is a free feeder bus route that forms a loop starting and terminating at the Balik Pulau Bus Terminal.
CAT Nibong Tebal (CT4) is a free feeder bus route that forms a loop starting and terminating at the Nibong Tebal Bus Hub.
CAT Tanjung Tokong (CT5) is a free feeder bus route that plies a route between Pulau Tikus and Tanjung Tokong.
CAT Batu Kawan (CT6) is a free feeder bus route between the Design Village Bus Hub and Simpang Ampang Railway Station.
CAT George Town Loop 2 (CT7) is a free feeder bus service that makes a few loops outside the inner city of George Town.
CAT Bertam (CT8) is a free feeder bus route in Kepala Batas.
CAT Bayan Baru (CT9) is a free feeder bus service in the Bayan Baru township..
CAT Alma (CT10) CAT Alma is a free bus service in the Alma neighbourhood of Bukit Mertajam.
CAT Sungai Dua USM (CT11) is a free feeder bus route that serves the Sungai Dua neighbourhoods including Universiti Sains Malaysia.
CAT Seberang Jaya (CT12) CAT Seberang Jaya is a free bus service in the Seberang Jaya neighbourhood of Perai.

Penang CAT Free Feeder Bus have a green livery with the words "I ♥ PENANG" at the front. (12 May 2018)

Updates on CAT Free Feeder Bus Service

7 March, 2018 The Star reports that the Penang State Government is increasing the number of feeder buses for use in CAT from 46 to 52 (29 on Penang Island and 23 on Penang Mainland). A new route in Alma, Bukit Mertajam is also being introduced and is expected to go into operations on 1 April, 2018. According to the report, CAT services is being expanded to six routes on Penang Island and seven on Penang Mainland. They are the George Town, Tanjong Tokong, Sungai Dua, Bayan Baru, Air Itam and Balik Pulau routes on the island, and the Bertam, Bukit Mertajam, Simpang Ampat, Nibong Tebal, Seberang Jaya and Batu Kawan routes on the mainland.

MBPP Rapid Penang CAT Free Shuttle Bus (23 January 2009)

City Hop On - Livery of the shuttle bus (23 January 2009)

Central Area Transit (CAT) signage (23 January 2009)

History of CAT Feee Bus Services

CAT was an initiative of the Penang Island City Council (MBBP), then the Penang Island Municipal Council, with Rapid Penang. The first route, launched in 2009, was a route from Jetty to Penang Road and back.

The original CAT buses make 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.

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.

In 2013, another free service called the Pulau Tikus Loop was introduced to provide a shuttle service around the Pulau Tikus neighbourhood.

In 2018, the free bus service was greatly expanded and the acronym CAT was given a new meaning, Congestion Alleviation Transport, with 12 routes planned. The first four were launched in April 2018 while the remaining 8 routes are launched in July 2018. These are CAT Batu Kawan (6 July), CAT Pulau Tikus/Tanjong Tokong (7 July), CAT George Town (10 July), CAT Bertam (13 July), CAT Bayan Baru (17 July), CAT Alma (22 July), CAT Sungai Dua/USM (26 July) and CAT Seberang Jaya (31 July). The new "Penang CAT" feeder buses bear a green livery to make them distinct from the usual Rapid Penang public buses.

Rapid Penang Bus Routes

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