KK to get changeable public transport system

KOTA KINABALU: The country’s first-ever public transport system that can be converted into a rail line will be built here as part of a programme to ease traffic in the state capital, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

He said the solution comprised a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that could eventually be transformed into a light rail transit (LRT).

“Elevated viaducts will be built for the BRT that can be used for an LRT system in the future, he added.

The BRT will be built in two phases, each costing about RM1bil, with the first running from Inanam to downtown Kota Kinabalu and ending at the international airport.

“I am excited about this,” Abdul Rahman said after launching the Sepanggar Umno division meeting yesterday.

He said the BRT was the brainchild of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

It is considered the best solution for public transport in Kota Kinabalu, where the present population is too small for an LRT system.

Abdul Rahman said RM420mil would be spent to improve traffic flow along a 5km stretch of Jalan Sulaman between Indah Permai and the Yayasan Sabah building, just north of the city.

Another RM420mil, said Abdul Rahman, would be used to build flyovers and expand Jalan Sulaman from four lanes to six.