KOTA KINABALU – More than 100 minibus operators in southern Sabah are concerned that they will lose their livelihoods after they were recently informed that the current public bus system will be replaced with one run by a consortium next month (September).
Papar minibus operators led by Abdul Halim Lassim said they were in the dark about the matter until they were informed by the Sabah Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) about the new system.
Halim sought the aid of Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong, claiming that they were never involved in the decision-making process to set up the consortium.
At a press conference today, Wong said that the government should reveal the details of the new public transport system’s plans so that they can be discussed with all parties, including stakeholders like the bus operators.
He said assuming that the decision came from Sabah Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, he hopes that Bung Moktar will send a representative to speak with the local operators before implementing the new system.
“In theory, it (the plan) will look good. But is it going to be practical on the ground? Is it okay? We need someone from Sabah who understands the real situation to represent the people here to (judge) if the plan is good,” he said.
Wong, who is the Tanjung Aru assemblyman, said that other than the issue of whether the operators will be able to keep their jobs, there is also concern about whether the new bus system will reach villages, especially those that are far from the terminals.
He said it has been a norm in Sabah for over 30 years for minibuses to stop at each village via village roads. If the new system does not reach villages, people would have to walk a long distance to the bus terminals, he warned.
“We are unlike West Malaysia. They have LRT (Light Rail Transit) and so on. In Sabah, a lot of villagers rely on minibuses for their daily commute,” he said.
As such, he sought a detailed clarification from Sabah CVLB on the matter.
Southern Sabah covers places around the state capital of Kota Kinabalu, including Putatan, Kinarut, Papar, Penampang, Inanam, Menggatal and Telipok.
Sabah CVLB chairman Datuk Chin Kim Hiung told The Vibes that CVLB will be issuing a press statement on the matter tomorrow. – The Vibes, August 6, 2022
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