In early August, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Premier Abang Johari Openg, announced that the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) smart tram had arrived in Sarawak from China at Senari Port. Just a few days back, a test was conducted at Kuching Isthmus to identify any issues before the three-car hydrogen-powered tram prototype, named 'Bulan,' is brought for training in Kota Samarahan.
@tpmyh ART Sarawak #publictransport #sarawak #kuching #art #fyp original sound - ThisProfileMakesYouHappy
During the test, the public seized the opportunity to capture and photograph the new public transportation. Based on shared comments, the public is excited about the potential of the tram to enhance the state's public transportation infrastructure in the future.
Meanwhile, there is also hope that the Sarawak government can diversify public transportation options similar to the LRT, MRT, and Monorail found around the Klang Valley. This three-car hydrogen-powered ART tram is intended for the Kuching Urban Transit System (KUTS) project, valued at RM6 billion, aimed at addressing traffic congestion in the Kuching and Samarahan areas.
Construction work on the tram route is vigorously underway, with the 27.6-kilometre Blue Route connecting Rembus in Kota Samarahan to the Hikmah interchange station in the city centre. The KUTS project is managed by Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).