Sarawak to continue flat rate in five districts but only for routes under 40km, says MOTS

KUCHING (Dec 27): The RM1 Flat Rate Bus Fare Subsidy Programme will be extended until 2025, the Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS) announced yesterday.

However, MOTS in a statement said the Sarawak government has decided to review the subsidy programme and restrict bus operations to routes under 40km, a change from the previous approach.

“The collaboration with stage bus companies will continue until 2025, aiming for a cost-effective approach while achieving programme goals.

“In regards to this, the ministry had invited all the 11 bus companies involved to discuss the government-approved programme’s new model. The details of the stage bus routes and schedule were laid out to the bus companies for their confirmation and this new programme will commence on Jan 1, 2024,” the ministry said.

The 11 bus companies involved operate in Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei, Miri and Bintulu.

Since its May 2020 launch, the programme which was to benefit the public, especially the B40 group, saw a 75 per cent ridership increase from 2021 to 2023.

According to MOTS, the average monthly ridership surged from 209,055 in 2021 to 364,725 in 2023.

In October this year, state Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said Kuching recorded the highest number of stage bus ridership annually, with more than one million in the first 10 months of 2023.

He also said the Sarawak government would make sure these buses would not only be punctual, but their frequency would be improved as well in a bid to get more people to use public transport.

“There is no point in encouraging people to use public transport such as the bus if the service is not frequent or if it’s not punctual,” he was quoted saying at the time.

He had also suggested that special dedicated lanes for buses would be introduced throughout the state in the future, similar to the ones currently being built for the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles, so that they would not get stuck in traffic jams during peak hours.

The implementation of the RM1 flat bus fare is specifically to assist bus companies improve their services and increase their frequency.

It also seeks to encourage more people to use buses for their urban mobility and help improve traffic flow through the reduction of traffic congestion.