Connecting Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian: BAS.MY bus service hits the road
The new BAS.MY Kuching bus service has officially launched its first route, and it brings along the much needed upgrade for Kuching’s public transportation to Kuching, Samarahan and Serian.
This initial rollout includes six busses which are painted in eye-catching pink, making them hard to miss.
BAS.MY Kuching first route
According to DayakDaily, the first route known as Q10, starts from the Open Air Market and makes 36 stops before stopping at Serian Bus Terminal.
Along the route the bus would stop at Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang, Jalan Market, Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, Sarawak General Hospital, Wisma Seberkas, Jalan Batu Lintang, Jalan Simpang Tiga, TheSpring Shopping Mall, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Jalan Wan Alwi, VivaCity Megamall, Jalan Canna, Emart Tabuan Jaya, the Kuching-Samarahan highway, Sarawak Heart Centre, UNIMAS, Siburan, Beratok, Tapah, Kampung Panchor, Tarat, and Kampung Rayang.
The daily quoted Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sarawak chairman Michael Kong as saying the bus frequency will be every 60 minutes with the frequency adjusted based on ridership for passangers convenience.
A graphic shared by the site showed that the first bus out of the Open Air Market starts its journey at 5AM during weekdays, and 6AM and 7AM respectively on Saturday and Sunday.
There are plans to expand the fleet to a whopping 56 buses, covering 10 routes across Kuching. These 10 routes would include Kota Sentosa, Batu Kawa, Muara Tebas, Malihah and Bako.
Facilities in the bus
These modern busses are equipped with electronic ticketing machines that accept various payment methods, including credit cards and e-wallets.
Aside from that, they also come with closed-circuit television (CCTV), low decks, and feature GPS tracking systems.
The busses are also made disable friendly to enable them to cater to a wide range of riders.
Kuching BUS.MY ticket prices
BAS.MY will also introduce the My50 monthly pass, which gives you unlimited rides for just RM50 a month. This pass can be obtained from the BAS.MY Kuching office nearby the Open Air Market.
This comes as BusAsia also announced the ticket prices for major stops around the city. The rates are as follows.
- Kuching – Serian : RM12.50
- Kuching – Siburan : RM6.80
- Kuching – UNIMAS : RM4.10
- Kuching – Samarahan Heart Centre Hospital: RM3.50
- Kuching – Emart Tabuan Jaya : RM2.30
- Kuching – VivaCity Megamall : RM1.90
- Kuching – TheSpring Mall : RM1.60
- Kuching – Sarawak general Hospital: RM1.00
With the pass however, you do not need to worry about the rates above as My50 would cover any destination for the whole 30 days at just RM50, a huge savings for frequent travellers.
Alternatively, concession cards to ride the bus would soon be available for eligible senior citizens, persons with special needs, and students to ride the bus service for FREE. These cards can also be obtained at the BAS.MY office nearby the Open Air Market.
About BAS.MY
In case you didn’t know, BAS.MY is the promised Stage Bus Service for Kuching under the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST).
According to a previous report by TVS, SBST cost the Malaysian government RM79.2 million to implement in Kuching over 5 years, with an annual reccuring cost RM16 million paid to keep it running.
BAS.MY is not exclusive to Kuching with similar pink busses also available in other parks of Malaysia. However, for Kuching, the service is contracted to Biaramas Sdn Bhd which also operates BusAsia.
BAS.MY Kuching is expected to expand to cover 10 routes using 56 new busses with The Star reporting that another 26 buses will come by the end of March, and with 20 more busses expected by the end of April.
It was also noted that only six busses are used to cover the Q1 route which was just launched, with four more busses still not being utilized.
