Sarawak is soon going to make history as the first area in Southeast Asia to feature hydrogen transport services. The hydrogen transport service is going to be included in the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project and will be implemented on an existing electrically powered BRT route in Kuching.
 
The hydrogen transport service initiated in Sarawak will mark a historic moment in making the transport system emission-free. The service does not emit any kind of emissions and the only emission that will occur is water vapor. The world today is taking steps to counter climate change. Such measures will help to reduce global warming.


Green hydrogen
 
The hydrogen-powered Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system, not a hybrid-electric system, is being developed as the backbone of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project. The system aims to use green hydrogen as part of the state's push towards a hydrogen economy.
 
Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) operates on a trackless tram system that runs on rubber tires along virtual tracks on dedicated lanes. The new fleet, which will run on hydrogen fuel, will encompass a total of 20 buses, which will harness renewable energy, and hydrogen production through the process of electrolysis that leverages on the state’s hydropower resources.
 
The ART system represents a fundamental innovation in city mobility. It's driverless, flexible, and sustainable, offering new solutions for modern transportation challenges. With integrated advanced automation, electric propulsion, and real-time data analytics, the benefits that come from the implementation of ART systems transform how cities efficiently move people responsibly.


Cost efficient and environment-friendly
 
The most promising benefits of ART lie in operational cost reduction. Without human drivers, labour costs go down considerably, while the optimization of energy consumption, usually by using electric or hydrogen-powered systems, reduces fuel and maintenance costs.
 
This, in turn, implies cheaper public transport for the cities. Environmentally, ART cleans the air by avoiding tailpipe emissions, reducing greenhouse gases, and helping to meet global climate objectives. Quieter electric motors further reduce noise pollution and improve urban liveability.

 
Improved safety, reliability
 
Another major strength is safety. ART systems utilize sensors, AI, and V2V communication to detect obstacles on the road and avoid collisions, thereby reducing accidents due to human failure. Predictable computer-driven operation keeps vehicles at regulated speeds for drivers, ensuring a scheduled trip time without delays. The dependability then will attract commuters to leave their private vehicles behind and use public transportation, easing congestion on the roads.
 
Through the reimagination of the transport system to be more natural and inclusive, it leads to social equity based on the alleviation of transport disparities in less-advantaged communities.

 
Development of economy, technology
 
 The fabrication and servicing of ART systems provide employment to the economy in the technology and green sectors. Further, its application to the intelligent city structure leads to the exploration of potential developments in the future as it results in the birth of intelligent communities.
 
It is a technological marvel not only in its application but a platform to induce a sustainable and efficient transport system to achieve an equitable transport system. Cities have the opportunity to reimagine the transport system on the platform of autonomy and innovation to unlock a smarter and cleaner and an equitable transport system for the next few generations.

 
Economic and technological growth
 
Installation and maintenance of the ART systems create job opportunities in the technology, engineering, and green industries, which impact positively on the local economies. This is coupled with the integration of smart city technology, which creates new ways for advancements in urban planning.
 
The ART system is not only an innovation in technology—it is also a driver for sustainable and efficient development. Cities can use autonomy and innovation and renew public transportation and achieve sustainable and efficient development by rethinking public transportation.
 
For many, the promise of quick and regular service, especially in the notorious rush-hour congestion that chokes the city’s major roads, will seem an absolute relief. Their current commute on crowded buses and unreliable routes in vans will be a nightmare in comparison to the ART’s promise of cleanliness, air-conditioning, reliability, speed, and ease of ride from city centre to outlying residential areas to commercial centres.
The young generation of professionals and students, who are quite familiar with tech-friendly transportation systems, will not only be impressed by the tech-friendly features that the ART has to offer, such as the use of cards for purchasing one’s ticket, updated notifications within its apps, and connectivity with the internet, but will also think that traveling by the ART brings glory to their city on par with other cities in Southeast Asia.
 

Efficient connect points
 
It is understandable that commuters traveling through the urban area expect efficient connect points, integrated schedules, and integrated tickets to prevent hassle from managing several payment channels.
 
Reliability will be a challenge that any start-up system has to pass, because people using alternative transport may be concerned about displacement and desire solutions geared at retraining the affected drivers.
The discourse on social media and public debates may revolve primarily around the promise of the improved commuting life that the system promises to bring, as long as it lives up to these ideals without sacrificing affordability.

 
Integrating with realities of the community
 
Overall, while the coming of the ART to the city of Kuching is expected to be welcomed with fanfare as a technological milestone, its eventual success depends on the degree to which it integrates with the realities of the community of commuters that it aims to serve.
 
As a part of the natural evolutionary process, ART will emerge as an integrated aspect of the community life and in the face of the rapid changes affecting the urban landscape, regular users will discover they cannot do without ART mode of transport.