An example of the ART system being used in China. Photo source CCRC
KUCHING: A preliminary study has identified two routes for the proposed Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) in Sarawak, said Assistant Minister of Transportation Datuk Jerip Susil.
He told the august House today that the proposed routes are the Samarahan Line from Taman Desa Ilmu to Hikmah Exchange, and Serian Line from Mile 12 to BCCK, The Isthmus.
“The routes were selected based on the objective to address traffic congestion in Greater Kuching and to make suburban development viable through Transit Oriented Development (TOD),” he said when taking a question from See Chee How (PH-Batu Lintang).
Dr Jerip said the Sarawak government could only determine the system solution, estimated cost, and implementation schedule for the proposed ART once a detailed study is carried out.
“The detailed study is also critical to ensure an integrated, safe, reliable, affordable and eco-friendly public transportation system for Greater Kuching,” he added.
Responding to supplementary questions, the Mambong assemblyman said the proposed project is still at the research and development (R&D) stage and as such, it has yet to be decided whether hydrogen fuel cell will be used for the proposed ART.
“It is still under study. It is premature to table an Ordinance (Bill on the regulation of ART). This can be done only after all studies which are carefully done.”
Dr Jerip added that Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) is engaged in the R&D while stringent Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) are being carried out on all studies.
He said the Sarawak government had not decided if the proposed ART system will be electric or hydrogen cell-driven.
He was quick to point out that hydrogen fuel “is zero emissions which emits only water or vapour that is harmless to the environment”.
See had asked whether the Ministry of Transport was working on an Ordinance to regulate the operation of the proposed ART and that when it would be tabled in the august House.
He also asked how the proposed ART would be fueled and how to ensure that the charging stations and transformers to facilitate the use of ‘green’ modes of transportation are safe and a solution to global warming.
See also added he had observed that the use of hydrogen as fuel “was not environmental friendly fuel as the component for insulation is SF6 gas (for high pressure switches, transformers and cables), that a kilogram of SF6 gas is equivalent to 23,500 kilogrammes of CO2, which is one-year’s greenhouse gas emissions for 1.3 million conventional petrol-fueled vehicles”.