KOTA KINABALU – The move to relocate all modes of public transportation to a hub under one roof at KK Sentral here is drawing opposition from chartered vehicle drivers.
Drivers said they are facing direct competition from express bus operators in the multi-storey centralised terminal.
“We have been designated on the top floor of the KK Sentral, which no one visits.
The express bus operators, meanwhile, are operating on the ground floor, which is more accessible to travellers. We are losing business badly,” a chartered vehicle driver said, but declined to be named for fear of repercussions.
He spoke to The Vibes after a closed-door dialogue between Kota Kinabalu City Hall, Road Transport Department, police and about 100 chartered car drivers yesterday.
Following the dialogue, Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Noorliza Awang Alip said the city hall will now have a relook into the relocation of all public transport operators to the hub.
She acknowledged that chartered car drivers want their relocation to be postponed. They have been operating from another location some 1.4km away from KK Sentral for many years now, and are unhappy with the abrupt plans for relocation.
Noorliza said a new decision would be made after another visit to KK Sentral.
“There were a string of issues raised by the chartered drivers about location, competition, terminal management, fares and direct competition with the express bus operators.
We will refine the issues and find a suitable mechanism agreed to by all parties. I will also be meeting the express bus companies at the same time,” she told the media after the closed-door dialogue.
Fully completed in 2017, the RM54 million KK Sentral began operations in July 2019 and is meant to be one of four transit points in Kota Kinabalu’s integrated city public transportation system.
The city has been beset by problems in attempts to integrate public transportation.
RM1 billion was promised by the federal government in 2016 to develop the Kota Kinabalu Bus Rapid Transit System, but the funds did not materialise.
Then, the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board said a consortium would replace the current minibus service with a scheduled bus service.
However, some 100 minibus operators have expressed concern that they would lose their livelihoods as a result. – The Vibes, September 20, 2022
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