KUCHING: Sarawak has discussed issues related to the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) licensing policy with federal Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Besides that, Sarawak also highlighted the need for the expansion and upgrading of airports and short take-off and landing airports (STOLport) to improve standards and provision for Rural Air Services (RAS).
Sarawak Minister for Transport, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said this after leading a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Loke in Putrajaya on Wednesday (Jan 11).
Lee said the main objective of the visit was to discuss pertinent issues and proposals to improve transportation in Sarawak.
Among the topics discussed, he added, included policy matters involving land, maritime and riverine, as well as aviation.
Under land transport, the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme, Sarawak’s RM1 Flat Rate Bus Fare Subsidy Programme as well as Interim Stage Bus Support Fund (ISBSF) were discussed.
As for the matters related to the maritime and riverine, he said the salvaging, removal and disposal of shipwrecks at the main navigation channel of Sarawak’s coastal areas and rivers were raised.
“We also discussed the acquisition of the Marina Kuching, The Isthmus, as well as the vessel traffic system with Automatic Identification System (AIS) for the coastline in Sarawak.”
He was confident that the visit would provide an avenue for the Sarawak Ministry of Transport to foster close collaboration with its federal counterpart as well as relevant transport agencies to improve and transform the transport sector in Sarawak.
Among those in the delegation were Lee’s deputies Datuk Dr Jerip Susil and Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, ministry advisor Dr Lawrence Tseu Sed Kong and other officials.
