Maran Perianen
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said the Kuching ART pilot should start by year-end, Malay Mail reported. It will run on the Rembus to Northbank route. Our earlier report on the ART said the pilot was set for the fourth quarter.
His speech was read out at the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council’s 10th anniversary dinner. He said commercial ART services would follow in stages after the pilot. Moreover, the line will tie Samarahan into the Kuching Urban Transportation System.
Here is where the pilot runs, what Sarawak has set aside for it and what is still unknown. However, the target is not a firm date.
Where the Kuching ART pilot will run
Specifically, the pilot starts at the ART depot in Rembus, Samarahan. It ends at Northbank in Stutong. Notably, this is a shorter run than the planned Blue Line, which is 27.6km long.
Meanwhile, hydrogen feeder buses will support the pilot. Furthermore, a hydrogen plant at the Rembus depot will supply fuel. Sarawak brought that plant into the transit project’s scope in May.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said in May that four ART units were due this year. So were 10 hydrogen feeder buses. The units had passed final inspections. Sarawak has ordered 38 ART vehicles and 55 feeder buses in all.
Samarahan has a population close to 200,000. As a result, the route links a growing town to Kuching. Meanwhile, the Premier said a proposed new Kuching airport at Tanjung Embang could add to growth.
Kuching ART pilot costs in Sarawak’s 2027 budget
Overall, Sarawak has set aside RM988 million for the transit project next year. It comes under the state’s Alternative Funding initiative. In addition, Sarawak Metro gets RM124 million for operations, including the pilot phase.
Moreover, the RM124 million also covers readiness for commercial service. Abang Johari gave both figures when he tabled the 2027 supply bill on 12 October. He said the pilot would run in 2026, with full rollout from 2027.
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However, building work has lagged. In May, Lee said Phase 1 was 38.2% complete as of 30 April, against a plan of 44.8%. Specifically, he blamed contractor performance, a redesign and utility relocation.
The whole project is due for completion in the third quarter of 2030. Therefore, the pilot is an early step, not the finished network. An earlier hydrogen ART report had pointed to a launch at the end of 2025.
What the Kuching ART pilot has not yet said
Importantly, no official has given a start date. Likewise, no one has named the stops on the pilot route or its length. The reports we read do not say if rides will be free or paid.
Furthermore, fares are also open. Sarawak Metro has said they will not be high, but it has given no figure. Moreover, no operating hours have been announced.
Likewise, taxi drivers are watching. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah said in August that ART would open first and last-mile work for taxis. He suggested stations could have taxi stands.
In short, the Kuching ART pilot is still aimed at the end of 2026 on the Rembus to Northbank route. Sarawak has put RM124 million behind operations. Watch for a start date, fares and stops.
Yalinie Mathan
Sashidaran Gunathevan
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