Jingga13 Sarawak
*Hydrogen Bus Available: Don't Be Insensible In Planning.*
Among the questions that arise is why does Abang Jo not explain how the decision to use a hydrogen bus is more beneficial than using an electric bus? Why is there no information on the contracts for hydrogen bus supply, hydrogen production and other facilities related to the implementation of the project?
We are totally aware that technology utilizing hydrogen to generate power for vehicles is yet to overcome the many obstacles and cost-effectiveness issues in the process of hydrogen production, transportation, storage and distribution. Compare this with the progress and maturity of battery-powered electric vehicle technology. The rationality that we have so much water and electricity supply to facilitate the production of hydrogen is not strong enough if we do not have an overall cost comparison between the hydrogen bus and the electric bus including the systems associated with the operation of both types of buses.
Then why do we have to use a hydrogen vehicle when there are more technologically proven and widely accepted alternative systems in the world?
For ordinary people still lacking in basic necessities, this hydrogen bus project is just for the glamour of being recognized as the first state in Asean to use hydrogen vehicles. Cost issues are always put behind, as are ideas like LRT and now ART. The launch of the hydrogen bus project was clearly not well planned and made without careful study. It is a clear indication from the changes in the transit system policies in less than 3 years from BRT (2016) to LRT (2017) and most recently ART (2019) that Abang Jo has no sound planning capabilities in making decisions.
According to reports, Abang Jo has allocated millions of dollars for R&D in hydrogen production. Why should we do R&D for this purpose when the country producing hydrogen buses should already have found a good and proven way? Otherwise, how would they propose to develop a hydrogen bus? We too learned that the 3 hydrogen buses were purchased (at an undisclosed price) for test runs. Why didn't Abang Jo make the bus supplier bear the cost of the supply and test runs of the buses? Isn't that a common way of doing business?
Don't be insensible in planning. How can Sarawak progress if the leadership repeatedly make moronic decisions?
Nikson Abdillah
Koordinator
Jingga 13 Sarawak
30th September 2019