MIRI: The Ministry of Transport has approved for the resumption of express boat services for longhouses along Sungai Tutoh, Ulu Baram.
Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin revealed that services were expected to resume in one to two months’ time once the preliminary ground work had been finalised by Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB), Marudi District Office and express boat operators.
He requested for a dialogue between SRB, Marudi District Office and the operators to come up with the best solution, including working out the schedule, fares and necessary support.
“The resumption of services is important to provide an option for the local communities to ease the movement of people and goods.
“At the same time, it can also stimulate local tourism activities by attracting more travel using river transport to visit longhouses in that particular area and the Mulu National Park,” he said yesterday (June 10).
Lee disclosed that a meeting was held at the Miri Resident’s Office upon the request of local communities.
He said the hardship faced by the people living in Baram travelling to towns for their necessities or bringing their agricultural produce for sale due to transportation difficulty was shared at the meeting.
“All these roads are privately owned by the palm oil plantation and logging company which are designed and used by heavy vehicles thus not good for sedan and MPV vehicles.
“These roads are not well maintained and are in very bad condition. During raining season, the road would get muddy and slippery with some parts impassable.”
Lee said the express boat service ceased operations after experiencing a gradual decline in passenger volume in the past eight years due to people choosing to commute by land after the oil palm plantation and logging company roads could access to their longhouses.
He said SRB statistics showed that in 2013, there were 66,174 passengers going through the Marudi Passenger Terminal, then five years later in 2018, it showed a drastic decline whereby only 3,171 passengers used the terminal and no passengers in 2021.
Lee added that the last express boat service ceased operations in March 2021.
Also present during the meeting were Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) cum Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala; Deputy Minister for Local Government cum Marudi assemblyman Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil and Sarawak Tourism Board chairman cum Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
