Kuching road users urged to drive cautiously amid construction plans

KUCHING: Road users are advised to exercise caution while driving around the Kuching International Airport (KIA) area as the current car park will be repurposed for the future Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) station.

In a Facebook post, Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd said new public parking spaces will be constructed at the airport’s parking area, with work commencing on October 17 and expected to continue until January 16 next year.

Meanwhile, in a notice, they mentioned that construction of the new carpark is part of the infrastructure development for the Red Line, which connects from Kuching Sentral to Pending under Phase 1 of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project.

The company added the construction work would take place between 9.30am to 4.30pm and 7pm to 4.30am.

They also reminded road users to adhere to all the traffic management measures, road warning signs and speed limits in place to ensure everyone’s safety.

Sarawak Metro, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), has been entrusted by the Sarawak government to modernise public transport through the KUTS project.

They are the implementer, operator and maintainer of the KUTS project.

The project is being developed in phases, and Phase 1 includes the development of three lines: the Blue Line from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the city centre; the Red Line, from Kuching Sentral to Pending; and the Green Line, from Pending to Damai.

Construction of the first package for the Blue Line is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025 and all three lines are scheduled to be fully completed by the end of 2027.

The backbone of the KUTS project is the introduction of the zero-emission Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) hydrogen vehicles.

The ART vehicles will be operated on dedicated lanes, meaning they will not share the lane with other road users. The ART hydrogen vehicles will run on rubber tires, and hence the dedicated lanes will be trackless. The lanes will mostly be at-grade (road level) while certain sections of the alignment will be elevated.

The ART operation will be supported by a network of feeder buses, which will also consist of hydrogen-powered vehicles to offer the ‘first mile and last mile’ connectivity for commuters.

The move to use hydrogen is in line with the Sarawak government’s aspirations to advance the hydrogen economy and to decarbonise public transport in Sarawak.