KUCHING: Kuching is set to welcome the prototype of its autonomous rapid transit (ART) system next month. The arrival of the ART vehicle will mark the beginning of an engineering run and proof of concept (POC) exercise, according to Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin.
Lee shared that the vehicle will undergo a two-month engineering run at the Isthmus in September and October. This will be in preparation for the POC exercise scheduled for November.
“Stage One of the POC exercise took place in China earlier this year in February. Through collaboration with the Sarawak Public Works Department, the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project aims to accelerate the construction of the alignment for the Blue Line,” he stated.
The completion of this construction will enable Stage Two of the POC exercise for the ART to take place along a short stretch of the Blue Line in November,” Lee added in a statement on Wednesday (July 12).
Lee emphasized that the 27.6km Blue Line, which will connect Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in Kuching’s city center, is part of Phase One of the KUTS project. He also mentioned that Phase One includes the development of the 12.3km Red Line from Kuching Sentral to Pending and the 30km Green Line from Pending to Damai Central.
“The ART operations under Phase One are scheduled to commence in stages from the fourth quarter of 2025 up to the fourth quarter of 2027,” revealed Lee. During his visit to Samarahan on Tuesday (July 11) to inspect the progress of the ART track construction, he expressed confidence in the completion of Phase One as scheduled.
Lee highlighted that the main goal of the KUTS project is to address traffic congestion in the Greater Kuching area and provide reliable and efficient public transport services to the people. “Central to the project is the implementation of a zero-emission public transport system, with the ART fleet powered by green hydrogen,” he shared. He also mentioned that a hydrogen-powered feeder bus network will complement the ART service to ensure convenient first- and last-mile connectivity for commuters.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
