KUCHING: Hydrogen-powered buses hoping to make their inaugural run are stalled. The operators are excited about wanting to have these buses on the road but are forced to wait. Apparently, the permit to allow their use in the state has yet to be issued.
“We are waiting for the permit from the Transport Ministry and the Road Transport Department (JPJ),” Rural Electricity Assistant Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi told pressmen at a Raya Aidilfitri event at the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) building here Thursday.
Asked when he expected the permit to be issued, he said he hoped it would be soon.
According to him, the cooperation between the Utilities Ministry and Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) last year had succeeded in producing hydrogen energy through electrolysis which can be used in vehicles.
“In fact, some SEB vehicles running on hydrogen power are already on our roads, but not buses though. Buses are public transport, they have to have permits of their own,” he said.
“I hope in the future this system can be used for public vehicles in Sarawak, too,” he said, adding Sarawak is the first in Southeast Asia to use the hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Also present at the ceremony were Abdul Rahman’s wife Datin Siti Shorgayah Ahmad Zaidin.
