KUCHING: Sarawak needs a dedicated lane for public transport, not just for its hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) but also for public buses to ease traffic congestion, said Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin.

The state Transport Minister said separating lanes for public buses from other road users would not only provide a smoother and hassle-free travel experience for road users and public transport passengers but also will help to improve traffic flow.

However, he said the plan to introduce special lanes designated specifically for public transport including buses and taxis is still under discussion.

But he assured that efforts to improve the public transport system are ongoing.

“Now the ministry is also proposing that we must have dedicated lanes for all public transportations. Otherwise, they (public buses) will be caught in the jam too and cannot reach their destination on time.

“So, we need to see and have a look at it in terms of our planning of our road infrastructure. We have to look at this public transportation where we must and need to have a dedicated lane. Then, only they (public transport) can be punctual,” he said.

Citing his experience travelling on a public bus from Serian to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), he said the traffic congestion was a hassle for public bus users.

He recalled that he only reached the hospital around noon although he took on the bus early in the morning.

“Saya pernah naik bus dari serian utk ke sgh.. pukul 9am sampai pukul 12.30, ini sebab jam. Kerana ia menggunakan lalulintas yang sama dgn kenderaan lain, kan jam kan,” he said of his trip from Serian to SGH which took about three and half hours.

“That’s why we have made a proposal that we must have a special route for public vehicles such as buses. For our ART, it will have its special lane here in Kuching,” he said to reporters when met at Kenyalang Traffic Garden yesterday.

While the plan to build special lanes for ART has already materialised, he said this would only be available in Kuching.

Considering that Sarawak has envisioned ART as its future public transportation, he said there was also a need for such special lanes for both ART and other public transportation to be provided in other cities.

“Our ART has a dedicated lane so that it will be seamless travel and also it will be punctual.

“There’s no obstruction on the road. You cannot be punctual when you have your public transport together (using the same lane) with ordinary cars. If you are caught in the jam they are also caught in the jam.

Meanwhile, when asked about public comments on public buses as unreliable, Lee said this would depend on the condition of the road and time of the day.

In fact, Lee pointed out, the state government’s RM1 Flat Rate bus fare programme had resulted in increase of ridership.

However, he did not provide the statistics.

“No. I mean this depends on what time of the day. You see… so I don’t have the actual figure on that. This is what they say.

“But we have to look around the figures, the figures show that there’s an increase in ridership. Ya and we are continuing the programme, of course we have to improve.

“Of course, we have the data that the ridership has increased but I don’t have actual figures here.

“But it shows that the number of people using the buses have increased,” he added.

He also said the state government would continue the programme as a way to help ease the financial burden of the rakyat, especially those in the B40 and M40 groups who were badly impacted by the Covid19 pandemic and to revive bus services which are in dire straits.

Now the ministry is also proposing that we must have dedicated lanes for all public transportations. Otherwise, they (public buses) will be caught in the jam too and cannot reach their destination on time.

Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin