PANORAMIC RIDE: Mawi paddles away as his customer waves to The Borneo Post. In Penang and Malacca, trishaw rides are the rage among tourists.
SIBU: Divisional Tourism Task Group (DTTG) has formed a sub-committee to look into places of interest in Sibu, including bringing back the humble trishaw ride to woo tourists.
DTTG chairman Sim Kok Kee opined that using a panoramic trishaw ride could be an ideal way to introduce the town to visitors.
“We are re-looking at the existing package with Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) to better promote Sibu.
“For a start, tourists and locals can be brought around the town in a trishaw. In Penang and Malacca, trishaw rides are very popular among tourists,” Sim, who is Sibu Resident, told The Borneo Post.
According to media reports, Ravera Holidays Sdn Bhd’s Products Research and Development manager Melintan Ina reportedly said Sibu could be the only place in Borneo where trishaws were still used as a form of transport.
Melintan, however, noted it was a dying trade, believing that trishaws, like longboats, were part of national heritage in the transport sector.
He also reportedly said trishaws captivated tourists and thus, should be capitalised on for in-bound promotion.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Sibu executive Rudy Anoi said yesterday the initiative augured well for the town’s tourism industry.
“This is because the trishaw is a very unique tourism product to both foreign and domestic tourists. You can’t find this in other divisions in the state,” Rudy noted.
As such, he hoped private sector seize the opportunity to package trishaw tour into their package as that would be a unique way to promote Sibu.
Meanwhile, Sim revealed among others, they were identifying historical spots here.
He said they were trying to connect Sibu Heritage Centre and Memorial Museum to tourism.
He added that they were also trying to promote the mouth-watering local delicacies to visitors.
Meanwhile, an elderly trishaw operator Mawi Mahli when met opposite Sibu Central Market yesterday, disclosed that most of his regular customers were senior citizens.
He lamented that young people did not fancy taking a ride in trishaws.
He noted the more generous passengers would not mind paying them more.
“Some give us RM5 for a ride from town to their house,” he said.
During the interview coincidently, an elderly folk hopped into Mawi’s trishaw.
Delighted that he had a customer after hours of waiting, he slowly paddled his trishaw as the passenger waved to the reporter.