KUCHING: The Selangor government delegation had the opportunity to ride on a hydrogen-powered zero-emission vehicle during their visit to Sarawak recently.
The delegation gained insights into Sarawak’s future public transportation network while test riding the vehicle.
At the same time, Selangor’s Investment, Trade, and Mobility Exco, Ng Sze Han, as the head of the delegation, had the chance to ride both hydrogen buses and Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles.
The delegation was welcomed by the Administrative Officer of the Sarawak Ministry of Transport (MOTS), Ir Tiong King Wei; Project Director of Sarawak Metro, Zafrin Zakariah; along with the management teams from MOTS, Sarawak Metro, and EMG JV.
Before commencing the journey, they were briefed on the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS) project and the engineering training as well as the second stage of concept validation (POC) at the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Tower.
Additionally, they had the opportunity to witness the ART autonomous operations during the test ride along the engineering training route on Jalan Keruing in the Isthmus.
The ART test ride was coordinated by MOTS, Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Metro), and the main contractor for KUTS System Package 1.
As a result, Sarawak Metro, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEDC, was entrusted with the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the KUTS Project.
This is because the phased development of the KUTS Project aims to modernise the public transportation system and reduce traffic congestion in Greater Kuching.
Phase 1 includes the development of three routes: Blue, Red, and Green. This phase is scheduled to start operating gradually, commencing in the fourth quarter of 2025.
For the Blue route, it covers a distance of 27.5km from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Kuching City Centre, the Red route (12.3km) from Kuching Central to Pending, and the Green route (30km) from Pending to Damai Central.
ART vehicles will operate on dedicated lanes and will not share the road with other road users in a multi-tiered and elevated road structure.
The ART operations are also supported by a feeder bus network using hydrogen-powered vehicles to offer “first and last mile” services for passengers.
Hence, the use of hydrogen to power the KUTS public transportation vehicles aligns with Sarawak’s aspiration to advance the hydrogen economy and move towards a developed state by 2030.
