KUCHING: The Transport Ministry will lead the effort to collect data on students’ commuting methods to school by the end of this year.
Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin stressed that this data is crucial to improve the management of the free school bus service for B40 students, which has been running for five years.
Noting the service currently covers major towns like Kuching, Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu, he said this information will help identify areas that need additional services and inform future planning for the programme.
“We need this data to create a detailed plan, especially for areas where bus services are not available yet.
“While school buses are available in urban areas, students in rural areas often rely on walking, boats, or bicycles, which raises safety concerns due to increasing traffic congestion.
“The ministry will engage all stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of implementing the plan this year, starting with a survey,” he said after officiating at the launching ceremony of the refinement and enhancement of free school transport services workshop here today.
Lee said the ministry will survey students across the state to gather data on their travel patterns in collaboration with the Sarawak Education Department.
With an allocation of approximately RM5 million, he said around 6,065 students benefited from the programme in the second quarter of 2024.
Earlier during his speech, Lee said that the Sarawak government has long been committed to implementing various policies and programmes to support target groups.
He acknowledged the challenges faced by the school bus service, saying he had received feedback from bus operators about rising operational costs.
Despite these challenges, he lamented that the fare has remained unchanged for some time.
“We need to conduct a proper study and gather feedback from bus operators to determine the appropriate fare.
“We do not want the school bus service to operate at a loss. Our goal is to maintain an efficient and comfortable service for students.
“Additionally, we must ensure that the fare is affordable not only for B40 families but also for M40 families,” he added.