Road users’ cooperation needed not to park indiscriminately
KUCHING: Response to the city’s first electric bus has been good, but the public need to do their part to make it better.
“Public response is overwhelmingly good. Many requested for more electric buses and more route coverage,” said Henz Pasific Sdn Bhd managing director Henry Lai here yesterday.
He urged the public to take care of public transportation and cleanliness while in the bus.
“We also seek the public’s corporation to not simply park their vehicles by the roadside, especially at the Open Air Market and Padungan areas,” he added.
He reminded them to follow the rules indicated in the bus and to enter the bus through the front door and exit through the back door.
Meanwhile, CRRC electric bus driver Kuan Fung described his experience for the past three months.
“I hope the public will give their full corporation on the road. It’s quite problematic and too taxing at times just passing through the Padungan and Open Air Market areas.”
He said this disrupted the schedule and “there are people aboard who also need to get to their destinations on time.”
“Usually at 5pm, even the main bus stop at the Open Air Market is blocked by irresponsible road users,” he lamented.
“The main bus stop is located there to encourage the public and tourists to hop on the tour of Kuching or to get somewhere,” Kuan Fung explained.
“On weekdays, there are around 200 passengers daily while more during the weekends.”
He added that on weekdays, the bus was usually packed with tourists, usually from Peninsular Malaysia.
The bus has a seating capacity of 53, comes with free Wi-Fi, wheelchair-friendly, special chairs for pregnant women and broadcasting content control system for video presentations by Sarawak Tourism Board to promote tourism.
There are eight trips from as early at 7am to 5.30pm passing 26 stations, with the first at the Open Air Market.