KUCHING (Dec 16): The Yamanashi Prefectural government’s plans to use a hydrogen-powered trackless tram to shuttle tourists to Mount Fuji in Japan is yet another indication of how Sarawak’s adoption of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system is attracting greater global attention, said Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Metro).

Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa said a small team from the Yamanashi Prefectural government visited Kuching several months ago to learn more about the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project.

He said the KUTS project team was able to provide valuable insights to the team from Yamanashi Prefecture, believing that this had, in one way or another, inspired the prefecture’s decision to look into adopting the ART system.

“In a way, we are also humbled to hear about this latest development, as it is a vindication of the work that our team is doing here in Kuching to transform the public transport system,” he said in a statement today.

According to Mazli, Sarawak Metro is looking forward to further assisting the Yamanashi Prefecture team in enhancing its ART system to suit its specific needs.

“It has definitely been a big morale booster for our KUTS project team, especially when we saw our prototype ART hydrogen vehicle being featured when the announcement was made in Japan last month,” he said.

Quoting several local Japanese news outlets, he said Yamanashi governor Kotaro Nagasaki told a press conference late last month that the prefecture planned to use a hydrogen-powered “trackless tram” to shuttle tourists to and from the foot of Mount Fuji.

Meanwhile, the statement quoted Nagasaki as saying that the Fuji Tram option would significantly reduce construction costs, while still allowing the authorities to control climate-damaging overcrowding during the summer season at the highest mountain in Japan.

Media reports also quoted him explaining that the hydrogen-powered trams are expected to have two couplings and a capacity of up to 120 passengers.

He added that while the ART system designed by China’s CRRC was being considered for the service, priority would be given to Japanese companies producing similar hydrogen-powered vehicles.