KKCCCI welcomes good news on BRT study

KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui yesterday welcomed the good news by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Rahman Dahlan that the study on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for Kota Kinabalu was expected to be completed by September.

Lui said Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), which was in charge of carrying out the feasibility study, would brief its advisors and senior officers on the progress of the study on Thursday (March 22).

Lui, who is also an advisor of DBKK, said the chamber has been voicing the need for public transportation system all the while, which was also included in its memorandum to the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) and State Economic Planning Unit (EPU) as one of its proposals a few years ago.

“The RM2 billion BRT system will improve and upgrade the existing public transportation service in Kota Kinabalu.

“It will also ease the traffic congestion and lack of parking space in the city,” he said.

Regardless of whether the government decided to introduce the BRT or Light Rail Transit (LRT) system first, Lui said the main concern of KKCCCI was for the government to expedite the implementation of the project to alleviate traffic jam in the state capital.

He also welcomed the news that the BRT would travel on special lanes dedicated to these buses either on the road or overhead, and that passengers would enjoy cleaner and more comfortable buses.

“The relevant government authority must ensure the BRT service is on time to build up the public’s confidence towards this initiative, which in turn, will encourage them to take these buses,” said Lui.