By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 5: The BAS.MY Kuching service, launched under the federal government’s Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) project with an allocation of over RM79 million over five years, is set to modernise public transport in Greater Kuching with 56 new low-deck city buses serving 10 routes in a striking pink livery.
Equipped with electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) that accept debit and credit cards, e-wallets, and cash, these buses also feature GPS tracking and accessibility enhancements for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The first route, Q10, commenced operations today, deploying six new buses on a 67km one-way journey from Open Air Market to Serian, covering 48 stops at key locations such as Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), tHe Spring shopping mall, Sultan Iskandar Building, VivaCity Megamall, eMart Tabuan Jaya, Samarahan Heart Centre, and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
At the launch event, Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin disclosed that an additional 26 buses will be deployed by the end of March, followed by another 20 by the end of April.
“With these new buses, we hope to encourage more people to opt for public transport, helping to ease traffic congestion in the city,” he said before taking a ride on one of the new buses at Open Air Market today.
He urged the BAS.MY Kuching operator to maintain punctuality and assured that the ministry would collaborate with Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sarawak to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.
“We hope this initiative will be extended to other parts of Sarawak as well,” he added.
The Sarawak Transport Ministry is also in discussions with Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) to identify additional bus parking spaces at the Open Air Market.
“We are working closely with local authorities to find solutions that ensure sufficient parking for these SBST buses,” Lee affirmed.
Meanwhile, CVLB Sarawak chairman Michael Kong expressed appreciation for Sarawak MOT’s efforts in engaging with DBKU to establish a suitable bus terminal in Kuching.
“We have also mapped out all 10 routes to identify bus stops needing maintenance or upgrades. CVLB will work with Sarawak MOT to improve them,” he said.
The 10 routes under BAS.MY Kuching will serve Greater Kuching, covering areas such as Bau, Bako, Kampung Benuk, Batu Kawa, Muara Tebas, Taman Malihah, SMK Matang Jaya, and SMK Agama Matang 2.
Kong emphasised that CVLB Sarawak will strictly monitor service standards, punctuality, and frequency as stipulated in the contract.
“Our team will continue to monitor operations closely and fine-tune the system to ensure it meets the needs of the people,” he added. — DayakDaily
