AFTER a four-month delay, Sarawak is ready to test three Chinese-made hydrogen-powered buses this month as the state seeks the best transit system for Kuching. 

The vehicles will be trialed only Kuching, Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said.

He said state government might prefer a “bus-tram hybrid” using the autonomous rapid transit (ART) system to serve Kuching.

This model will still run on wheels but be guided on its route by a “virtual track” using sensors embedded into the road. The buses can run on either electricity or hydrogen.

The  ART system is attractive as it is cheap and did not require costly rail lines and other amenities used by trams, Abang Johari said at a ceremony to mark Kuching City Day today.

The ART system, he added, costs just one-third of the light rail transit (LRT).

Kuching’s proposed (LRT) system, which the opposition had criticised as being too expensive, was estimated to cost between RM10 billion to RM11 billion.

“We still have to study the ART system but it is most likely,” he said.

“All we have to do is widen the road to create a dedicated lane for the vehicle. Since we do not have to build rail lines, it will help preserve the aesthetic of the city.”

Abang Johari went to Nanchang city in China last month for a first-hand look at the ART system that is already in operation there. – August 1, 2019.