Rep: Think of the needs of rural folks for transportation

MIRI: The state Ministry of Transport should consider the plight of rural folks for transportation.

The ministry and the state government should not only look at the needs of urban transport service providers but also look beyond the cities’ limit and the needs of the rural folks, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau suggested.

“The rural folks living in the remote areas have no alternative but to depend very much on private 4WD vehicles as means of transportation for them to move in and out from their longhouses located far deep in the interiors with connection only by timber roads.

“Perhaps, the state government should look into this matter to assist the rural folks who are unable to afford high transportation cost to obtain medical treatment or even settle personal matters in Miri,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday in relation to the recent statement by Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin that the state government planned to provide fuel subsidy to public bus operators in the state.

Aware that the rural folks need reliable transportation, he had mooted the idea that all the full-time private transport providers in his constituency set up an association to provide road transportation.

With 4WD vehicle owners as its members, the association was registered on July 18, 2017 and now has more than 100 members.

“Being properly registered, full time and fully committed to their business, the group ought to be assisted by the state government to lessen their operating cost so that they too can stay afloat.

“Their main challenges are fuel cost and spare parts. This is due to the rough road condition.”

Another group that needs government assistance are operators of express boats, he suggested.

“Though most longhouses along rivers are now connected by road making less and less people depend on this mode of transportation there are still people who need this form of transport.” Unfortunately, he said, some of the operators could not sustain their services.

The rural folks living in the remote areas have no alternative but to depend very much on private 4WD vehicles as means of transportation for them to move in and out from their longhouses located far deep in the interiors with connection only by timber roads. Dennis Ngau