The New Kuching Sentral
at Mile 6 1/2 Penrissen Road, Kuching

(Kuching Integrated Regional Bus Terminal), the city’s latest landmark.

The main intercity bus terminal is at the Penrissen Bus Terminal southeast of Kuching City . The developer is Permodalan Amanah Saham Sarawak (Assar) Sdn Bhd, a company incorporated to enhance the performance of the Sarawak’s unit trust fund, Assar.

For buses going to the outskirts of the city like to Bako , buses leave from Bus Stop no. 1 at Jalan Market, opposite Elektra House .

For going to Semengoh, take the STC(Sarawak Transport Company) bus No 6, 6A, 6B, or 6C from opposite the Public Bank in town, on Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg

The fully integrated three-storey regional bus terminal in Kuching City had commenced in December 2007. The RM55 million project is located on a seven-acre site at Mile 6 1/2 Penrissen Road. The completion is expected to be end of 2009.

It will be only two minutes from the Kuching International Airport (KIA) and 10 minutes from Kuching City centre. This bus terminal will be streamlining the city bus transportation system by bringing together the regional buses and the city buses.

Daily express buses to and from regional centres like Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri as well as daily express buses from Pontianak in Indonesia and Sungai Tujuh in Brunei will be available, making Kuching Sentral an international transportation hub.

Commuters will find convenience right from the point of arrival as the city buses will offer them a seamless link to any destination within Kuching City and the regional buses will link them to major destinations throughout Sarawak. Alternatively, commuters can choose other options of transport available at Kuching Sentral like taxis.

The terminal will have  42 bus bays for Saarwak regional buses and 67 bays for Kuching city buses.

Additional facilities like luggage storage, premium rest rooms, wifi, Auto Teller Machine (ATM), prayer room and others have been incorporated to ensure a comfortable transit for passengers and shoppers.

The estimated 12,000 daily passengers alighting at the new bus terminal will be greeted with a pleasant ambience as Kuching Sentral offers 25, 000 sq ft of supermarket, 21,000 sq ft of departmental store together with restaurants, fashion boutiques, beauty and healthcare, gift shops, pharmacy and many more.

Kuching Sentral will have a total of 152 retail units and more than 30 specialty kiosks to keep shoppers busy.

The fully integrated transportation terminal is part of the Sarawak Government’s effort to improve bus services in Kuching city for the convenience of the people.

Spearheading the development of the Integrated Regional Bus Terminal is Permodalan ASSAR Sdn Bhd (PASB), a company incorporated to enhance the performance of the state unit trust fund, Amanah Saham Sarawak (ASSAR).

The shopping complex is strategically located at the junction of Jalan Penrissen and Airport Road which is being upgraded to a dual-carriageway with traffic lights.

The RM60 million project would be the first of its kind in Sarawak. It would be a single, consolidated transportation hub that would immensely improve conveyance service for thousands of commuters in and around Kuching daily.

Kuching Sentral would be the only fully-integrated regional transportation terminal in the State capital and, for that matter, Sarawak.

Strategically located at the Mile 61/2 junction of Penrissen Road and Airport Road, this new public transport artery, for which earthwork started last December, is only about three minutes’ drive from Kuching International Airport and 20 minutes from Kuching City.

Because it is located away from the city, traffic gridlocks can be avoided. Indeed, it is a timely initiative to significantly improve traffic flow in and around the city. Roads in the area are being widened into dual-carriageways complete with traffic lights.

A transportation hub or transport interchange is where traffic is exchanged across several modes which may include railway, tramway, metro or rapid transit, bus, coach, automobile, truck, airplane, spacecraft, ship, ferry, pedestrian, or any other kind of transport.

The term is used both for passenger and freight transfers. Some hubs also allow transport to be exchanged between the same kind of transport modes.

The completion of Kuching Sentral two years from now will, therefore, provide a focal point for travellers, integrating different modes of transportation such as stage buses, taxis, hired vans as well as sea and river crafts.

Daily express buses to and from regional centres like Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu and Miri as well those from Pontianak, Indonesia and Sungai Tujuh, Brunei, will be operating from the terminal.

Right from the point of arrival, it will be convenient for commuters with city buses providing a seamless link to any destination within Kuching city and regional buses linking them to major destinations throughout Sarawak. Alternatively, commuters can choose other transport options like taxis and hired vans.

Built with 11 bays for car rentals, 42 for regional buses, and an additional 67 for city buses, Kuching Sentral will be big enough to support a high passenger traffic at any given time, at the same time, serving as a regional transportation hub capable of not only accommodating high traffic volume but also meeting the needs of shoppers with a modern complex free from parking problems.

Like most transportation hubs in major cities of the world, the design of Kuching Sentral incorporates a shopping centre that promises modernity, convenience and comfort not only to travellers but also shoppers.

Poised to be a retail and transportation hub in the State capital, this seven-acre three-storey bus terminal cum shopping complex will set a new standard in the way people travel and shop.

Cafes and restaurants will be provided, and additional facilities like luggage storage, premium rest rooms, Wi Fi, ATM machines and prayer rooms, among others, have been planned to ensure a comfortable transit.

Commuters alighting at this facility will also be greeted with a pleasant and welcoming ambiance — a 25,000 sq ft supermarket, and a 21,000 sq ft departmental store together with restaurants, fashion boutiques, beauty and healthcare centres, gift shops, pharmacies and many more.

A total of 152 retail units, and over 30 specialty kiosks will be available … in addition to more than 380 open and basement parking bays equipped with CCTVs and guarded at strategic zones.