Less traffic: The hydrogen-powered vehicle for Sarawak’s ART system.
KUCHING: Sarawak’s autonomous rapid transit (ART) project is unlikely to face the same issues that caused a hydrogen-powered tram line in Foshan, China, to be suspended.
State Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said the primary reason for the suspension in China was low ridership due to competition from other public transport services such as rail, metro, buses and e-hailing.
“The lack of first-mile and last-mile connectivity such as not having feeder buses or any form of service to take passengers to and from the nearest station, could also have been a contributing factor,” he told Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh (GPS-Bawang Assan) during a session in the Sarawak legislative assembly here yesterday.
In the Sarawak context, Dr Jerip said the ART project was a pioneering initiative to establish the first reliable mass urban public transport system in the state with dedicated lanes.
He said this would reduce travel time for commuters in Kuching and Samarahan, which currently experiences severe traffic congestion during peak hours.
“The ART is designed to be powered by green hydrogen, a clean and sustainable energy source that can be produced locally, leveraging Sarawak’s abundant water resources.
“This strategic approach also aligns with Sarawak’s commitment to sustainable development and reducing carbon emissions,” he said.
Dr Jerip said 55 hydrogen- powered feeder buses will also provide first- and last-mile connectivity within a 3km radius of each ART station.
He added that 38 ART vehicles will be manufactured and shipped from China in stages to align with the construction of the ART infrastructure and the system’s overall completion timeline.
“The first two units are expected to arrive in Sarawak by the first quarter of 2025, which will be used for test run purposes.
“The remaining units will be shipped from China in batches from 2025 to 2027,” he said.
The ART is the backbone of the Kuching Urban Transportation System project, with phase one comprising three lines totalling 69.9km.
The Blue and Red Lines are expected to be fully completed in 2026 and the Green Line by 2027.
