Stage bus service to be transformed this year

KUCHING: The Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme is will be operational within this year said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin.

The programme, he said, is aimed to increase the use and service of public buses and reduce traffic congestion, especially in the city.

He said the Federal Ministry of Transport (MOT) has made provision for SBST in Kuching, with tenders set to be opened for local bus companies operating in Sarawak.

“This programme will be regulated by the Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (LPKP) and the Sarawak Ministry of Transport (MOTS),” he said in a statement on Friday (Jan 26).

On Tuesday (Jan 23), Lee and his delegation had a discussion with Federal Transport Minister Anthony Loke in Putrajaya.

The meeting was also attended by Federal Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, State Transport Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, and MOTS Deputy Permanent Secretary Selamat Jati Yanjah.

Additionally, Lee sought MOT’s assistance to expedite approval of routes for cross-border express bus services linking Kuching and Singkawang, Indonesia, through the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) checkpoint at Biawak, Lundu.

Presently, he said, the Kuching-Singkawang bus service operates on a transfer basis, requiring passengers to change buses at the border.

“We hope that this route can get approval as soon as possible and can be implemented directly just like the Kuching to Pontianak route,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lee also welcomed the Feasibility Study of the Trans Borneo Railway (Sarawak-Sabah) which will be implemented this year.

Meanwhile, both Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation between ministry and state officials.

This is to ensure that development programmes planned and approved at the federal level will be implemented seamlessly and issues raised by the public are immediately resolved.

In a related development, Loke also informed that the upgrading projects for Kuching International Airport and Miri Airport would be prioritised in the 2025 Budget, set to be presented later this year.