BY JAMES WONG
KUCHING: State Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin is confident the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project carried out by Sarawak Metro is on track.
In a press statement, Lee said the KUTS project, carried out in collaboration with Public Works Department (PWD), will expedite the construction of part of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) alignment for the Blue Line.
“This will facilitate the second stage of the proof-of-concept (POC) exercise for the ART to take place along a short stretch of the Blue Line in November,” he said on Wednesday (July 12).
The Blue Line will connect Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the city centre.
In a related development he underscored the ongoing cooperation between Sarawak Metro, JRK and related government departments and agencies working on development projects along the ART alignment.
He said the collaboration will ensure the smooth implementation of the projects and mitigate any potential inconveniences for road users on the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway.
On Tuesday, Lee carried out a site inspection at Kota Samarahan to assess the progress of the ART track in preparation for the POC exercise scheduled for November.
Also with Lee during the site inspection were Deputy Minister of Transport (Aviation and Road) Datuk Dr Jerip Susil; Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman Datuk Peter Minos; Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa; JKR Samarahan Divisional Engineer Indra Sakti Haron; representatives from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board, and the Road Transport Department.
