Minister: Kuching Metro bus timetables to be adjusted for tourists

KUCHING (Jan 25): Timetable adjustments for Kuching Metro’s electric buses will be implemented soon to better meet the needs of visiting tourists, said Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Using tourist visits to the wildlife centre as an example, Abdul Karim noted that the current timetable is not in sync with the tourists’ schedules, as they often miss the orangutans’ feeding time — the part of the trip they find most exciting.

“There were several instances when, by the time visitors arrived at the wildlife centre, the orangutans’ feeding time had already passed.

“So, for the proposed timetable, we need to align the bus schedule with the orangutans’ feeding times, ensuring that more buses are available earlier to match the sessions. There are two feeding times each day,” he said.

Abdul Karim said this before officiating the trial run of the newly proposed timetable for bus number 103, which runs from Kuching Open Air Market to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre along Jalan Borneo Highland.

Despite the timetable adjustments, he said the travel routes will remain unchanged.

According to Abdul Karim, the state government has been providing this fully electric, free bus service for the past five years.

“At present, the government provides four buses, and we are satisfied with the facilities and the service provided by the bus operator,” he said.

He also reminded the public that the bus schedules and destinations can be found on Kuching Metro’s official website at https://www.kuchingmetro.my.

Furthermore, he said that the possibility of expanding this bus service to other divisions depends on the needs of tourists visiting those areas.

Also present were his ministry’s special administrative officer Datu Sherrina Husaini and permanent secretary Morshidi Frederick.