KUCHING: The automated rail transport (ART) project is currently in progress, said Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr Abdul Aziz Husain.
The Sarawak Metro chairman stated that consultants have been hired and that the tender rolling stock has been finalised.
“It should be available soon, and we should be able to announce the company that will supply the rolling stock.
“With that, we’ll be able to start construction work next year.
“I also hope that by the end of the year, we will be able to tender out the remaining projects,” he said during the Sarawak Metro Berambeh Raya 2022 at Grand Margherita Hotel here, yesterday.
He stated that the first rolling stock will arrive in 2023, but that it will just be for the pilot.
“Before we can use the train commercially, we need to run it for at least two years. After everything is in place, commercial operations will begin in 2025,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kota Samarahan City Council (MBKS) chairman Datuk Peter Minos said he had been in meetings with the transportation company about the preparation.
“We wanted to aid them, and we had earlier advised them that the best stations could be located at Hock Seng Lee (HSL), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Summer Mall as well as Aiman Mall.
“Summer Mall has a huge population, and students from UiTM Kota Samarahan can be seen there. UNIMAS and UiTM (stations) would be the most crucial,” he pointed out.
Minos went on to say that UNIMAS alone had 25,000 people while UiTM had 20,000.
“ART might be used by half of them (from each university). So, if we calculate the average number of people who will use it each day, it will be 15,000 every day.
“That is why we are in desperate need of this ART,” he stressed, adding that the station locations have already been agreed upon.
Commenting on the traffic congestion issue in Kota Samarahan, he said it must be addressed promptly.
“I’ve been saying this a lot recently. Hopefully, the authority is assisting in reducing traffic congestion in the area,” he said.
When asked how the council would deal with the traffic jams caused by the ART construction, he stated the police would assist.
“In addition to the police traffic, we (MBKS) have our own people assisting with traffic control,” he stated.
Minos added the Public Works Department (JKR) will begin the traffic light project, which will be completed in October next year.
“We’ve been talking to them about speeding things up,” he pointed out.
He expressed his delight with the ART initiative and stated that he has been advising the company on what they may improve.
“We also provide relevant recommendations to them, such as avoiding areas where flash floods occur frequently,” he said.
