PAKAN, Sarikei: Villagers around Pakan in Sarikei Division still rely on relatives with vans or four-wheel-drive vehicles to transport them from their villages to nearby towns.
TAKING A BREAK: Garan (front centre) taking a drink while waiting for his passengers who are fellow villagers of Rh Guyang from Sg Rusa. His four-wheel-drive vehicle is packed with goods and passengers.
“Normally vehicle owners will charge their passengers. For example a passenger from my village at Rh Guyang will have to pay RM8 for a one-way fare to Pakan town or RM15 to Sarikei,” said Garan Mugun.
Garan, who is a government officer, told The Borneo Post Adventure Team (BAT) yesterday that he had to charge passengers like everyone else with vehicles did.
“Sometimes I don’t feel nice but because the villagers insist that they pay me I have to take the fare from them as they often need to come to the nearest town to buy provisions or sort out personal matters with government department or agencies,” he added.
Although working in Kuching, he usually goes back during weekends to see his family members in their village at Sg Rusa which is about 10km from Pakan town, with a distance of 5km from the main road to their village still surfaced with gravel.
Even though the villages are not served by public transport, he pointed out that villagers make regular trips to the towns, especially on weekends, to sell rubber which now fetches a high price.
Lamenting that the lack of public transport had made life difficult for the villagers, he said they are looking forward to some help from the government to alleviate their woes.
Citing the good prices for rubber and pepper which provide farmers with extra cash for buying building materials, he said the villagers prefer to hire big vehicles like his four-wheel-drive as they can transport more materials and go right up to their doorsteps.
“Even if there is public transport, buses would not go right up to the doorsteps of the villagers as they will just leave them at the bus stop,” he added.
Nevertheless he looks forward for the road to be tar-sealed.
Pakan town is about half an hour’s drive from Bintangor.
When BAT was in town, shopkeepers were seen busy weighing rubber sheets brought in by the villagers.