Sibu Sentral to become Sibu’s new landmark

KUCHING: With the coming launch of Sibu Sentral – a modern premier multi-storey integrated regional bus terminal, the bustling central region town will be further enhanced with the state-of-the-art, one-stop centre transportation facility for the people of the central region to benefit and catch up with modernisation.

Sibu Sentral is a conceptualisation of the award-winning Kuching Sentral Central Regional Bus Terminal that has been hugely successful and is seen as the first – close of its kind in the country in design and concept with the likes of Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).

Now, this concept will be materialised in a strategic location in Sibu which will be able to handle thousands of commuters to the rest of the Sarawak, including Sabah and the neighbouring countries of Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Sibu Sentral is going to be a buzzword for the people of central region as it will act as a hub for those who depend on public transportation. It will be constructed on a 9.36 acres site located at Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Road which is just a stone’s throw away from Farley and  Sing Kong Commercial Centre and adjacent to Kpg Sentosa, Sibu.

It is also ideally located as it is just 8km away from the Sibu Airport; 3km away from Sibu General Hospital and 5km away from the Sibu Regional Wharf at down town Sibu. Being so closed to vital public amenities also means that it will become an important hub for businesses as the complex also boasts of spacious shopping centres, apartments and hotel.

The Sibu Sentral will be constructed as a functional regional transportation hub that can accommodate high traffic volume with modern shopping centre to provide every possible needs of shoppers, without the hassle of parking with the availability of at least 1,700 car parks for patrons.

With this new multi-storey integrated regional bus terminal, commuters can enjoy high-end facilities as the terminal will be fully air-conditioned, similar to the Kuching Sentral.

Commuters alighting at this new bus terminal will be greeted with pleasant and welcoming ambience as Sibu Sentral offers more than 10, 000 square metres of space for the passengers’ bus terminal area, strata tittles retain units and a food court.

There will be 200 units of residential apartments available for sale and a 171-rooms 3 Star-hotel as transit accommodation. Besides that, there will be a hypermarket, departmental stores and entertainment outlets and food galore for shoppers and customers as well as travellers to unwind and relax. All services and amenities will be made available at the upcoming Sibu Sentral which has been designed for their comfort.
State Government Vision

Sibu has been a thriving town since the booming timber industry in 1960s. It has continued to play its role as the financial and administrative centre catering for the needs of the people in the central region.

With the government’s vision to link the major cities and towns such as Kuching, Sibu and Miri even as far as Sindumin in Sabah by better and wider road, Sibu which is situated at the very centre between Kuching and Miri will again ride on the development tide and look towards another phase of economic boost with the building of the Sibu Sentral.

It is undeniable that the implementation and the construction of this RM300 million integrated transportation terminal is part of the State Government’s vision and efforts to improve the bus services in Sarawak for the convenience and enjoyment of the people.

For the people of Sibu – and also the rural folk residing adjacent to the Rejang Basin, comprising of Sarikei, Bintangor, Kanowit, Song, Kapit, Selangau, Oya, Mukah and Dalat – it means turning tiring journey into leisure traveling where comfort, pleasure and convenience is part of travelling package.

From a macroscopic point of view, the terminal complex will be the new catalyst to further boost the economy of Sibu as the town’s location between Kuching and Miri will naturally make it a transit point.

With the completion of the Pan Borneo Highway in the near future, the improved coastal road, the implementation of the proposed second truck road from Simunjan to Sibu and the completion of the Kapit Road in the near future; travelling by land will be less strenuous.

Rather, it will become more enjoyable as travelling will take a much shorter time from one major town to another.

With Sibu Sentral paving the way for main transit points – the many stop-relax-and go centres to be built along the new highway in addition to the comfort of wider air-conditioned buses – it is the hope of the authorities that with better roads, there will be enhanced safety.

Just from Kuching to Sibu, rather than spending six to seven hours on the road, the proposed second trunk road will shorten it by at least three hours once the estimated RM4 billion the mega project is completed. By that time, it is foreseen that road transport will be a very much preferred option for intercity or “inter-town” commuters.

And with the increasing cost of air tickets and airport charges, coupled with limited flight connections and low flight frequencies between Sibu and the rest of major towns and cities in the state, commuters and passengers will be encouraged to make use of the land transport such as the bus.

Their preferenceof land transport spells good news for bus terminals across the state, including the smaller towns along the routes which is not accessible by other modes of transport.

Furthermore, it is a cheaper option for Sarawakians to choose buses as opposed to flying.

Bus companies have expressed their intentions to buy new, bigger and modern fleet of buses to ply the routes between Lawas in the North to Sematan in the South where Sibu Sentral will play its vital role as an inevitable must-stop transit centre.

With Sibu now having its own colleges and a university – the University College of Technology Sarawak, the Sibu Sentral project which is a well-planned multipurpose terminal complex will not be merely for the purpose of meeting the growing needs of commuters who prefer the cheaper form of transport, it will also expect to become an attraction of its own.
Streamlining systems

Sibu Sentral will serve as a platform to streamline the  town’s bus transportation system by bringing together regional buses with the town’s commuter buses and taxis.

Daily express buses to and from regional centres including Bintulu, Miri, Betong, Sarikei, Sri Aman, Serian and Kuching, Mukah and Dalat – as well as serving daily express buses from Pontianak (Kalimantan, Indonesia) and Sungai Tujuh (Brunei) – will make stops at Sibu Sentral.

Commuters will be met with travel conveniences right from the point of arrival as taxis and commuter buses will offer them seamless links to any destinations within Sibu and regional buses will link them to all major destinations throughout Sarawak.
Booming business opportunities

With massive and extensive movement of commuters and passengers from across the state, business opportunities will be aplenty.

It will thus be a great investment for those with capital, especially properties in the vicinity. Golden opportunities will arise in terms of the new and hot properties made available with the completion of the Sibu Sentral which is expected to commence construction next year and to be completed within 30 months.

The development of Sibu Sentral will be spearheaded by Permodalan ASSAR Sdn Bhd through a joint-venture with a Sibu-based construction company closely associated with Pemanca Datuk Wong Kie Yik.

Upon completion, it will be able to handle an estimated 5,000 passengers daily.

The project is indeed a timely respond to the call made by the State Government to come up with a strategic yet iconic infrastructure that will help to spruce the already well developing Sibu Town that will fulfil multiple roles as a regional bus terminal, a shopping centre, a food court, residential apartments and hotels, all under one roof.

The Sibu Sentral, among others will have the following amenities: bus interchange terminal (passengers waiting area, ticketing booths, bus bays), hypermarkets, departmental stores, recreation centre, gymnasium and children indoor playground, 171-rooms hotel, apartments from the 5th to the 18th floor towers, exhibition and meeting halls, 1,700 available parking lots  (including dedicated car parks for apartments); club houses, swimming pools, food courts, prayer room, police station and other facilities.

In the long term, Sibu Sentral will definitely become a very viable investment for those who are willing to invest due to its bright and prospective future.

It is also envisioned as a modern and sophisticated one-stop integrated regional bus terminal not only to serve the central

region but the whole state of Sarawak.