SBST agreement now expected to be signed next month

KUCHING: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said there is a delay in the signing of an agreement between Putrajaya and a bus consortium here to launch the Stage Bus Service Transformation ( SBST) project in Kuching and Samarahan divisions.

The agreement, which was initially expected to be sealed last April, is now anticipated to be inked next month.

“They have to work out the ceiling amount. So that’s why there is a delay in the signing of the agreement. They mentioned to me it’s slightly (delayed to) maybe early July. They’re talking about the ceiling price, which they have all agreed already. Now, it’s just waiting for a meeting with the tender committee, which meets only once in three months,” she said when met at the state-level Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching here yesterday.

She was asked when the agreement between Putrajaya and Konsortium BBK Sdn Bhd (KBBK) would be signed to launch the SBST project since she announced last February that it had been scheduled for April.

Nancy said the tender committee would meet again next month when the agreement is expected to be formalised.

“So they’re waiting for July. Once it’s formally approved, then they will announce. Actually everything is in order,” she said, giving assurance that the project would eventually take place.

Responding to a question, Nancy said the tender committee ‘is to formalise it (the agreement)’ and that the last meeting which was called in May ‘ had not finalised the figures’.

She reiterated that ‘but now they have agreed.’

Last month, Sarawak Bus Transport Companies Association honorary secretary William Chan told The Borneo Post that the consortium ( KBBK) ‘is anxious to launch the SBST project.’

He said the consortium, which is made up of five companies, had been waiting for the Prime Minister’s Department to announce the signing date.

The five companies are Bau Transport Company Sdn Bhd, Biaramas Express Sdn Bhd, City Public Link Bus Service Sdn Bhd, Petra Jaya Transport ( Sarawak) Sdn Bhd and Sarawak Transport Company Bhd – all members of the association.

According to Chan, the SBST project is to cover south of Kuching Sentral to Samarahan; north to Damai, Bako, Semariang and Kubah Ria; east to Demak Laut; and west to Batu Kawa town, with a total travel length of more than 27,000km a day.