KUCHING: The Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) Phase 1, with the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project as the backbone of the public transformation system transformation, has achieved 25 per cent overall progress as of October 2024.

This is inclusive of design and engineering works, system works, procurement, land acquisition, and construction.

According to Sarawak Minister for Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, the capital expenditure has reached RM840.47 million, reflecting the financial commitment to advancing this transformative project.

He said nine package contracts for KUTS Phase 1, including five for infrastructure, two for systems, one for the Bus Integrated System (BIS), and one for hydrogen buses, were awarded through an open tender process to ensure transparency and value.

“The Blue Line Package 2 Infrastructure Contractor from Stutong to Hikmah Exchange was selected through an open tender process, with 13 bids received.

“The BIS package, also awarded through an open tender process, attracted five bidders and includes nine integrated sub-systems, such as the Planning, Scheduling & Dispatching System (PSDS), Fleet Tracking System (FTS), Bus Operation Control Center (BOCC), Automatic Fare Collection (AFC), Bus On-Board System (OBS), Centralised Reporting System (CRS), Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS), Information Technology System (ITS), and a Cloud Architecture for overall system integration,” he said.

He said this during his ministerial winding-up session at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly Sitting on Monday.
Dato Sri Lee added that following Phase 1, plans are in place to include another line, the Yellow Line, in future phases.
“This proposed alignment will connect Moyan to Sarawak General Hospital, addressing connectivity needs in currently underserved areas,” he added. -UKASnews