MIRI: The free Miri City Smart Bus officially commenced trial runs on Tuesday (Oct 1).
State Minister of Transport, Datuk Sri Lee Kim Shin took the bus from Emart Tudan to Miri City Centre at 6am to experience the new bus and personally gather feedback from passengers.
Passengers were pleasantly surprised to see the minister among them.
But Lee said this was not his first experience as he has taken public transportation multiple times include in Kuching and Sibu since his appointment as Transport Minister.
During his previous bus rides, he received valuable feedback from passengers and drivers.
Last year, many passengers expressed concerns about the aging Miri buses, citing issues on comfort, reliability, and adherence to schedules.
In response to these concerns, he pledged to work with bus companies to introduce new, modern buses.
“Today I have fulfilled my promises. All of you here this morning are the first to ride on this new modern Volvo bus, which is undergoing an inaugural trial run starting today.
“Also, for the first time in history, we have a free bus service in Miri City supported by our Sarawak government under the Miri City Free Smart Bus Programme,”Lee said.
The Miri City Free Smart Bus service, will be launched on Oct 9 by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Lee, urged students from nearby schools to take advantage of this service, emphasising that the first buses are scheduled to depart at either 5:30am or 6am.
This initiative aims to encourage more students to use public transport, promoting a more sustainable and efficient commuting culture here.
Under this initiative 14 brand new smart buses covering eight main routes, providing free services to the public.
The buses will operate daily from 5:30am to 7:30pm.
The eight routes include Permy Jaya (4 buses), Sungai Rait/Bakam (1 bus), RTM/Pujut 2 (1 bus), Kuala Baram (1 bus), Hospital (1 bus), Riam/Taman Tunku (2 buses), Senadin (2 buses), and Tudan (2 buses).
The Smart Bus is equipped with tracking devices that will allow the public to monitor bus schedules and real-time locations through a mobile application.
While the app is not yet officially activated, it is expected to enhance the commuting experience significantly once the installation of the relevant equipment is completed.
The mobile app is expected to be activated after the official launch.
