MORE than 1.3 million passengers have used the Miri Smart Bus service since October 2024 as Sarawak expands and modernises public transport services statewide.
Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, said the strong response reflects growing public confidence in the state’s efforts to improve mobility and connectivity through modern transport systems.
He said the Miri Smart Bus service currently operates across eight routes and had recorded over 1.3 million passengers as of April 30 this year.
“The strong public support demonstrates that the government’s efforts to improve public transport are delivering meaningful results,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the DUN Sitting today (May 18).
Lee said the ministry has also organised awareness and ride-experience programmes for students in Miri to encourage early use of public transport and promote independent mobility through the Sarawak Smart Transport Application.
He said the application allows commuters to plan journeys and access real-time bus tracking and route information, while also assisting the ministry in evidence-based policymaking.
“It also provides a platform for route planning, scheduling and continuous service improvements,” he said.
Lee added that the ministry would continue replacing ageing stage buses throughout Sarawak under the 13th Malaysia Plan while providing operational and management subsidies to ensure service continuity.
Following the success of the Miri Smart Bus initiative, he said the next phase of the Sarawak New Stage Bus Service (SNSBS) would be implemented in Sibu.
“The tender for SNSBS-Sibu was advertised on April 30, 2026 and is scheduled to close on May 20, 2026. The project is expected to be awarded in the third quarter of 2026,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lee said the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme, known as BAS.MY, implemented by the Federal Government in collaboration with the Sarawak Ministry of Transport, has introduced six new routes in Kuching covering Arang Road, Hui Sing Garden, Siburan, Samarahan, Stutong Baru/Kuching Sentral and Taman Sukma.
However, routes serving Matang Jaya, King Centre and Bako were discontinued effective April 1 this year due to low ridership.
He said the new routes marked a significant step towards improving public transport connectivity in Kuching.
According to Lee, 56 new stage buses operating across 13 routes since March 2025 have carried more than 847,644 passengers as of April this year.
“The services are supported by the BAS.MY journey planner application,” he said.
As of April 30 this year, a total of 1,346 MyBas30 transit passes and 15,284 concession cards had been issued to commuters, including students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (OKU), under the programme.
