Phase 1 of Kuching Urban Transportation System on schedule at 25.8 pct, says Dr Jerip

KUCHING (Nov 15): Overall progress on the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project for Phase 1 stood at 25.8 per cent in October, said Datuk Dr Jerip Susil.

The Deputy Minister for Transport said this was slightly ahead of the planned schedule of 24.73 per cent.

He shared that the breakdown stood at 79.01 per cent for procurement activities, consultancy (98.34 per cent), infrastructure works (5.82 per cent), system development (32.09 per cent), and feeder buses (1.98 per cent).

He said this when responding to supplementary questions from Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (GPS-Bawang Assan) in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) here today.

Wong had first asked about the effects of the recent suspension of the hydrogen-powered tram line in Foshan, China on Sarawak’s Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project.

Dr Jerip said the suspension in China was reported to be caused by low ridership due to competition from other public transport services such as railways, metros, buses, and e-hailing options.

“The lack of ‘first mile and last mile connectivity’ such as not having feeder busses or any form of services to take passengers to and from the nearest stations could also have been contributing factors,” he told the august House.

He said Sarawak’s ART will use green hydrogen, a sustainable energy source produced locally using the state’s water resources, aligning with the state’s carbon reduction and sustainable development goals.

Dr Jerip added that 55 hydrogen feeder buses will provide essential first and last-mile connectivity within a 3km radius of each station.

He also said a total of 38 ART will be manufactured and shipped from China in stages to coincide with ongoing infrastructure construction.

The first two units are expected to arrive by the first quarter of next year for test runs, with the remaining units arriving in batches through to 2027.

When asked on the total price for the project, Dr Jerip replied that a final figure cannot yet be determined due to escalating prices over time, though updates will be provided as the project progresses.