KUCHING — The Sarawak government is proposing a comprehensive study to examine student mobility patterns and transport methods across the state. The initiative aims to assist ministries and agencies in crafting more effective, inclusive, and data-driven policies for school transportation.
Sarawak Minister of Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, said the absence of complete data on how students travel to school is a significant barrier to effective planning.
“We want to understand how students get to school — whether they are dropped off by parents, use school or public buses, ride motorcycles or bicycles, walk, or even take boats. Without this data, our planning remains incomplete,” he said.
Dato Sri Lee made these remarks while officiating the Workshop on Refining and Strengthening Services and Free Transportation for School Students, jointly organised by the Sarawak Foundation, the Transport Ministry, and the Sarawak Education Department on Friday.
He emphasised the ministry’s readiness to lead the study, pending cooperation from all stakeholders, and noted that efforts are already underway to convene relevant parties to plan and initiate the research, potentially within this year.
The minister also addressed challenges faced by Sarawak’s Free School Bus Programme, which is now in its fifth year. Issues such as logistics and the implementation of the card system continue to hinder optimal delivery.
Workshops like this, Dato Sri Lee added, are crucial for gathering on-the-ground feedback and should be made an annual event to evaluate programme performance and plan improvements based on changing needs and demographics.
The two-day workshop was attended by 50 participants, including teachers, school representatives, and school bus operators from across Sarawak.
Also in attendance was the Director of the Sarawak Foundation, Datu Mohamad Junaidi Mohidin.
The proposed study is in line with Sarawak’s broader agenda to enhance educational access, student welfare, and rural connectivity through data-backed transportation strategies.
