BY NATASHA JEE & ALEXANDRA LORNA
KOTA SAMARAHAN: The introduction of modern public transportation will elevate Sarawak’s position and speed up development.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state is the first in the world to introduce the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells and it will not pollute the environment.
“Sarawak is also the first to introduce clean energy, including hydrogen. This is the Sarawak way.
“God willing, Sarawak will be a developed state in Malaysia by the year 2030 and we will continue to use high technology for us to move forward and that will bring benefit to the economy as well as its people,” he said.
He was speaking at the launching of the first phase of Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project at the proposed site for Rembus Depot here, today (Dec 16).
The first phase of the KUTS project involved the Blue Line which will cover from the Rembus Depot in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in Kuching city centre, covering a distance of 27.6km; the Red Line is from Kuching Sentral to Pending, covering a distance of 12.3km; and the Green Line is from Pending to Damai Central in Santubong, covering a distance of 30km.
The passenger service for the ART is scheduled to be introduced in stages, starting from the fourth quarter or 2025.
Abang Johari said that with the state providing public transportation using the latest technology, it will not only provide efficient public transportation, but also create high standard jobs.
“When you create high standard jobs, the pay and income will be high. So, the question of spill-off effect on the economy is great.
“And you have an efficient public transport that can be trusted. Not only the locals will use it, but the tourists too, where they can use the public transport to go around places such as tourist attractions,” he added.
He said the ART vehicle, equipped with the latest technology, such as face tracker will arrive at its destination on time as scheduled, providing passengers more convenience.
“This is a new way. And today we launch the first phase of the KUTS project – covering the Blue, Green and Red line.
“I first knew about such red and green lines when I took the public transport in London. They call it the London Underground (rapid transit system) which also has several coloured lines.
“Now Kuching has it too. When visitors use our modern public transportation, they will ask ‘Which line are you using? The Red line?’ And the others will say ‘I’m using the red line too’.
“Then they will also say Kuching’s public transport is just like London’s, and indeed, we are just like London.
“Therefore, this is where our position will be elevated and we want to become a developed state in Malaysia by 2030. This is our plan,” he said.
Abang Johari also said the second phase of the KUTS project will see the ART system from Serian to Gedong.
“Furthermore, we are also currently planning to extend the ART system to the areas of Samalaju and Kidurong in Bintulu and will be able to cater for those working in the various industries in the area” he said.
Meanwhile, the event also saw an exchange of memorandum of understanding (MoU) documents between Sarawak Metro with Universiti Teknikal Mara Sdn Bhd (UniKL), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak Sdn Bhd (CENTEXS).
The MoUs are for collaborations under Sarawak Metro’s Socio-Economic Enhancement Development (SEED) programme that aims to add value to the procurement activities for the KUTS project and provide a platform for research and development and knowledge sharing, particularly in creating a pool of skilled manpower for the transportation industry.
Later, Abang Johari presented compensation cheques to landowners affected by the development of Rembus Depot.
