Kuchingites give hydrogen bus service their thumbs up
KUCHING: Senior citizen Ng Pian Fook was excited to be the first passenger to board the city’s newly-commissioned hydrogen-powered bus when it officially commenced operation at 7am yesterday.
The 73-year-old marvelled at the bus’ comfort as it made its way along the 14-kilometre Downtown Heritage loop, saying he could now happily travel while enjoying the sights around Kuching.
“I regularly use buses for my daily trips into town or to anywhere else I would like to go. I think that this new hydrogen bus is very good compared to the old buses which were quite unreliable – sometimes you have to wait up to two hours for one,” Ng told The Borneo Post.
He also expressed hope that this new service will be something the public can rely on, in addition to it being free like the city’s electric bus service.
The Downtown Heritage loop starts and ends from the bus stop in front of Riverside Majestic Hotel. It includes stops at Kuching Waterfront, Central Timur Road, Ban Hock Road, Kubah Ria and the Malay Kampung Heritage AreaKampung Bandarshah 2.
Ng’s fellow bus passenger Kevin Ngu, 30, explained that he decided to use the hydrogen bus yesterday morning to get a feel of its route as he planned to use it to commute to work.
“Before this (hydrogen bus), I actually walked to work, which would take about an hour, so having this facility feels great because the bus is comfortable, it is a free service and there is also free WiFi which is great.
“So now I want to familiarise myself with the route first before I go to work in the aernoon, because I hope to use this bus daily to get to my workplace,” he said.
Meanwhile, 39-year-old Tay Kok Fook opined that the hydrogen bus was a convenient transportation system and a new experience for Kuchingites and tourists to try.
“I tried the electric bus before so I decided to try the hydrogen bus now, and I think that the hydrogen bus is great for the environment.
“Previously, I did use the old buses but found them quite lacking in terms of facilities and it didn’t stop at every bus stop, which was a problem for users,” he said. Tay added he hoped the Sarawak government would continue to provide the hydrogen bus service free-ofcharge in the future, as it could encourage more people to utilise public transport.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg on Tuesday launched the hydrogen bus service as part of the state’s effort to promote reliable, affordable, safe and eco-friendly public transport.
Three hydrogen-powered buses now offer free daily service between 7am and 7pm along two routes – Downtown Heritage Loop and Damai Loop.
The 67-km Damai Loop takes passengers from Riverside Majestic Hotel to Damai Central and back, with stops at the Sarawak Museum, Satok and Petra Jaya along the way.
Manufactured by China Foshan Feichi Automobile Manufacturing Co Ltd, and operated by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), the buses come equipped with the H2Sarawak mobile app, high-speed WiFi, and e-portal that consists of in-bus entertainment and e-shopping platform.