Published on: Saturday, February 23, 2013 |
The project, designed by local architect Sim Sie Hong of Innotech Design Architects Sdn Bhd., would convert the existing taxi stand into a new taxi stand using renewable and green building materials.
This was disclosed to Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir to Teo Chew Association (KKTCA) President, Chua Soon Ping, during a courtesy call in City Hall on Thursday.
Chua said the project is initiated and partly sponsored by KKTCA, together with several other companies, namely Color Coil Industries Sdn. Bhd, City Top Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Glimex Corporation Sdn Bhd, LCP Trading Sdn Bhd, Panellite Marketing Sdn Bhd, Tanbar Sdn Bhd and BriSteel Corporation Sdn Bhd, whose representatives were also present during the courtesy call.
Explaining the project as part of their corporate social responsibility for the City, Chua said the new taxi stand will be 100 per cent powered by solar power, using the latest 'Thin Film' technology to power up the basic essential lighting and ceiling fans, with some power socket for phone charging to be used by the taxi operators.
On the design, he said the new seating area will also be specially designed to prevent people to sleep on it, and will have an extended roof covers to prevent taxi passengers getting wet during the rainy days.
Others features will also include new LED lighting to lit the area at night and ceiling fans to keep the taxi stand cool and ventilated during hot sunny days.
According to Chua, the project would take three months to complete and once in place would serve as a prototype of a small green building in the City, which is energy saving.
Abidin thanked the KKTCA and the sponsors for their contribution and regarded their effort as a very good example of 'smart partnership' between the KKTCA and the corporate sector, to assist Kota Kinabalu City Hall to make the City a more liveable place.
The Mayor said the City Hall would also conduct a study to look into the possibility of using the same technology for all the bus stands in the City in the future.
After the meeting, the group adjourned to the existing taxi stand in Kg Air where they gave a design briefing to Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, and the Mayor.
