By NATASHA JEE & NUR ASHIKIN LOUIS
KUCHING: The first phase of the light rail transit (LRT) system project will be implemented “in due time” by the Sarawak government.
According to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, the proposed project, which has long been put on hold, would first cover routes from Kota Samarahan to Kuching.
“With this modern mode of public transportation, it would alleviate traffic congestion in that area,” he said.
He said it would especially serve students from Unimas and UiTM as most of them do not have their own transportation.
Abang Johari said this to reporters when met after delivering his winding-up speech on the last day of the assembly sitting yesterday.
When asked on the cost of the project, he said it would cost less than RM5 billion as the routes are shorter.
“We are taking into the consideration the people who want it, especially when Samarahan area has bad traffic congestion.
“All studies have already been carried out, and we all know it was not implemented because certain parties did not want it,” he pointed out.
Earlier in his winding-up, the chief minister said the idea to build the LRT is a proposed solution to the demand of the city folks for better and more efficient public transportation.
“Traffic jam has been the cause of public complaints and higher cost of doing business due to congestion and time wasted on the road,” he said.
In response to critics that building LRT is not feasible to address this problem and suggestions to build more roads and provide free bus service, Abang Johari said that based on the study that the state government conducted, no country in this world can solve the traffic congestion just by building more roads.
“More roads mean more vehicles on the roads and more traffic congestion. Even using bus, you will be caught on the road with traffic jam,” he emphasised.
Abang Johari added, “A typical example is the Kuching and Samarahan areas, which before the construction of Kuching-Samarahan Expressway, were only served by Kuching-Penrissen-Muara Tuang road. The Kuching-Samarahan Expressway was built as an alternative route and to reduce traffic congestion.
“Now as we have all experienced, the new Kuching-Samarahan Expressway is always congested especially in the morning and after office hours. I am getting a lot of complaints from commuters moving along these two destinations, expressing their frustration of long driving time and crawling traffic.”
