THE Lions Club of George Town Central adopted and upgraded a bus stop opposite Chung Ling High School in Air Itam, enhancing the facility with a reading corner and a shelter to provide a more comfortable waiting environment for residents and students.
The upgraded bus stop was officially launched today by Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng, who was invited to officiate the completion of the project.
Ng praised the initiative, saying the adoption not only benefits local residents and students but also helps ease the burden on the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), allowing it to allocate more resources to other improvement works and development plans.
“The bus stop opposite Chung Ling High School has long been an important public facility and serves as a main waiting point for residents and students, making comfort and proper amenities essential to the community,” he said.
Ng thanked the Lions Club of George Town Central for adopting the bus stop and spending more than RM10,000 on repair and upgrading works, including the installation of a shelter and a reading corner to allow students to read while waiting for buses in a more comfortable environment.
Commenting on the previous condition of the bus stop, Ng said it had suffered from acts of vandalism prior to being adopted, and he hoped the public would appreciate and take good care of the upgraded facility.
He also expressed hope that the improved bus stop would encourage more students to use public transport when travelling to and from school, helping to ease traffic congestion in the area.
“Besides regular bus services, Rapid Bus has also introduced the Rapid On-Demand service, which should further improve convenience for students and the public,” he said.
Ng called on more companies in the state to consider adopting bus stops as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts so that public facilities could benefit a wider segment of the community.
“Typically, a bus stop adoption programme lasts for two years. Currently, there are more than 600 bus stops and shelters on Penang Island, and interested companies may contact MBPP to learn more about the adoption process,” he added.
Lions Club of George Town Central chairman Chew Lee Tong said the bus stop is not only a key community facility but also a primary waiting point for students from Chung Ling High School and Chung Ling Private High School during school hours.
He said the club decided to take concrete action to assist the community and students by adopting the bus stop and upgrading its facilities to provide a more pleasant waiting environment.
“We are grateful to the council for giving us the opportunity to serve society and to breathe new life into this bus stop, so that it can continue to provide shelter and comfort to the community,” he said.
Among those attended the launch were MBPP councillor Visvenathan Tangavello, SMJK Chung Ling acting principal Khor Chin Soon, and Chung Ling Private High School principal Ng Jooi Seah.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Law Suun Ting