Sarawak Metro awards contract for hydrogen-powered feeder buses

KUCHING: Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Metro) has awarded a contract for the supply of hydrogen powered feeder buses to a joint venture (JV) company comprising SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd and Sun Credit Sdn Bhd.

The company said under this contract, the JV company is entrusted to undertake the works of designing, engineering, procurement, manufacture, supply, installation, delivering, testing, commissioning and handover of 55 single-deck hydrogen fuel cell feeder buses.

“The contract, valued at RM122,441,222 including options, will be executed over a period of 43 months,” it said in a press release on today (Oct 25).

It added the hydrogen-powered feeder buses will support the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system network under the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project, in providing the first and last-mile connectivity.

“A total of six tender submissions were received at the close of the tender exercise on July 26, 2024,” Sarawak Metro said.

Sarawak Metro chief executive officer (CEO) Ts Mazli Mustaffa said the award of this contract represents a significant step towards building a more reliable, convenient and eco-friendly public transport network in Kuching.

“To the JV company, let us work together towards this goal for the betterment of Sarawak’s public transportation system,” he said,

At the signing ceremony, Mazli signed on behalf of the company, while the JV companies were represented by Muhamad Zaidi Toha, SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd director and Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, Sun Credit Sdn Bhd chairman with Datuk Roy Soo Kum Kin, CEO of SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd and Timothy Lim Teng, director of Sun Credit Sdn Bhd as witnesses, respectively.

Sarawak Metro, a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), is tasked with the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the KUTS project, which is under the purview of the Ministry of Transport Sarawak.