By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 31: The three hydrogen buses operational since 2020 to strengthen local technical capacity ahead of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) rollout, will not join the future feeder bus fleet and have instead been relocated to the Sarawak Skills campus to support vocational training, academic learning, and research.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Sarawak Metro clarified that the pilot buses were intended solely for trial purposes and were not designed for integration into the upcoming feeder bus fleet due to differences in design and manufacturing specifications.
After six years of extensive use, the buses are now being repurposed to continue contributing to Sarawak’s public transport ecosystem, while also enhancing the State’s technical and operational knowledge in hydrogen transport.
The trial initiative helped strengthen Sarawak Metro’s operational capabilities, including contract management and obsolescence management, highlighting the broader benefits of pioneering hydrogen technology locally.
The three six-year-old buses have been formally donated by Sarawak Metro to the Sarawak government-owned youth skills development centre for ongoing academic, vocational, and research use.
This milestone was highlighted during a visit by Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Economic Planning and Development) Dato Sri Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel to Sarawak Metro’s Hydrogen Bus facility at Jalan Tabuan today, reflecting the State government’s commitment to sustainable and innovative public transport solutions.
The visit provided an opportunity to review the progress and readiness of Sarawak’s hydrogen-powered public transport initiative, a key component of the State’s broader green energy and low-carbon mobility agenda.
During the session, Zaidel was briefed on the outcomes of the hydrogen bus trial operations conducted since 2020.
The buses successfully met their primary objective of collecting critical operational data and technical insights in preparation for the phased rollout of a larger hydrogen-powered fleet expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
Beyond technical evaluation, the trial raised public awareness of the safety, reliability, and environmental benefits of hydrogen fuel technology.
The buses served passengers on key routes, including from Kuching city centre to Damai Central in Santubong, demonstrating the practical viability of zero-emission public transport in Sarawak.
The initiative also strengthened local technical capacity, with engineers, technicians, and drivers gaining hands-on experience in operating and maintaining hydrogen-powered vehicles in preparing Sarawak for the successful implementation of KUTS.
The visit underscored the Sarawak government’s commitment to positioning the State as a regional leader in the hydrogen economy, ensuring infrastructure, human capital, and operational readiness are fully aligned for future deployment.
Present during the visit were Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) CEO Dato Syeed Mohd Hussien Wan Abdul Rahman, Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Transport Sarawak Mohamad Lotfi Tuah, and Sarawak Metro CEO Ts Mazli Mustaffa. — DayakDaily
