Sarawak’s inaugural Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) made its debut on the road for an engineering run at Kuching Isthmus on yesterday (Aug 23).
The planned Prototype ART Engineering Run, initially scheduled for 9am, was delayed until 4.15pm due to heavy rainfall.
The test run covered two circuits on the road, starting from the LCDA Tower, passing the SEDC Tower and Sarawak Energy Tower, passing BCCK and continuing along Jalan Keruing.
During the test run, the ART vehicle, escorted by police traffic and an emergency team, attracted the attention of bystanders and motorists, who slowed down to catch a glimpse of it.
Capable of accommodating up to 300 passengers across its three carriages, the ART aims to improve public transportation efficiency and alleviate traffic congestion during peak hours.
In a previous announcement, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin mentioned that the ART prototype’s engineering run for the Kuching City Transport System project (KUTS) would take place at Kuching Isthmus from Sept 4 to Oct 31.
The recent test run aimed to identify any potential issues before the Proof of Concept (POC) test in Samarahan.
The ART, developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, was transported from the Shanghai Port and arrived at Senari Terminal on Aug 5.
