The Sarawak government plans to order 38 more units of the hydrogen-powered autonomous rapid transit (ART) coaches once the test runs of the prototype vehicle are completed, according to Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
These coaches will serve the three lines of phase one of the Kuching Urban Transport System (KUTS), which is scheduled to start operations in stages by the end of 2025.
“The three lines will connect Samarahan to Kuching,” Abang Johari stated. “This investment by the state government in public transport transformation will benefit the rakyat,” he added.
The benefits of the ART coaches include providing flexible and affordable mobility for the public and being tourist-friendly, Abang Johari explained. For instance, tourists can travel from Kuching to Damai on the ART.
The ART system also contributes to sustainability efforts and reduces carbon emissions as it runs on hydrogen. “We are not just talking about mitigating climate change, the Sarawak government walks the talk,” Abang Johari emphasized.
Regarding fares, Abang Johari mentioned that they will be decided later but assured that they would not be burdensome for the public. “There will be a special fare to encourage people to use public transport,” he stated, adding that fare payments would be made through Sarawak’s e-wallet application SPay Global.
Abang Johari himself went on a test ride of the prototype ART vehicle, which consists of three coaches, along the engineering run route at the Kuching Isthmus. “It was very comfortable and ran well,” he commented on the ride.
Sarawak Metro, the implementer of the KUTS project, announced that the engineering run will take place for two months until October to refine the specifications of the ART and identify any potential issues before the proof-of-concept (POC) exercise begins. The POC exercise will be held in Samarahan in November to collect data for evaluating the feasibility of the prototype for the final design of the ART vehicle.
Sarawak Metro clarified that the ART coaches will run on dedicated road-level or elevated lanes and will not share the road with other vehicles. The dedicated lanes will be trackless as the ART vehicles operate on rubber tyres. Furthermore, the ART system will be supported by a feeder bus network, which will also use hydrogen-powered vehicles, to offer first- and last-mile connectivity for commuters.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
