Get Around

Public transportation around the city is not very well organized. There are, however, buses that ply the length and breadth of the city, and even one that can take you around the island itself. Having said that, there is a chance you master the system by going either to the KOMTAR building or the ferry terminal. There, all busses stop on their route, and if you don't mind going around the city a bit if you actually want to leave it, you have good chances of getting where you want. But if you're planning to venture out of Georgetown to the suburbs and beyond for a day's tripping, do bear in mind that the public buses STOP picking up passengers AFTER 10PM daily - apparently even on weekends and holidays (as of November 2006). And if you need to take a taxi back to your quarters after midnight, be prepared to pay a 100% surcharge on top of the usual quoted fare.

Going to and from the airport (Rapid Penang bus 401, 401A, 401E from the airport to Komtar and the Jetty, and vice versa) takes about an hour, and the buses come once every 30 minutes. The bus fare is RM2.70. This is in contrast to the official taxi fare of RM38 with a journey of about 45 minutes from the airport to downtown Georgetown, and vice versa.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, "City taxis are required to charge according to the meter effective from August 2006" (from "Penang: Pearl of the Orient", published May 2008). However, as in Kuala Lumpur, many taxi drivers have no respect for the law or at least believe that foreigners have no legal rights and will even try to cheat foreigners.

Therefore, taxi rides within the city may cost up to RM20; agree on the fare before you get in. Taxis can also be hired for a minimum of 3 hours at RM25 per hour. A good way to see the Northern and Western parts of the island if you don't have your own vehicle.

Trishaws cater to tourists and charge around RM30 per hour. However, these trishaw rides are becoming more of a curiosity rather than the norm as the number of trishaw peddlers are now lower in number than before.

You may also rent your own motorbike or little scooter to get around. These shops can be found along Chulia Street and also Penang Road. Cost around 25 ringgits for 24 hours rent. Deposit is 200 ringgits but most do though accept other currency as well.

Street view of Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street)

Street names can be confusing: the street signs are in Malay, but locals will invariably use the old English names, e.g. Pitt Street instead of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Beach Street instead of Lebuh Pantai, etc. Lebuh, Jalan, Lorong, etc. are the Malay words for street, road, lane, respectively.

Georgetown is a pedestrian nightmare as there are very few footpaths. In places without footpaths it is almost impossible to get around on foot due to the heavy traffic and prevalence of deep, wide, disgusting open sewers.

-Info courtesy of Wikitravel-