URGENT MAINTENANCE NEEDED: The Long Luping–Ba Kelalan road is in dire need of repair.
TEMPORARY FIX: A pothole that has been filled with soil.
MIRI: Regular travellers along the Long Luping– Ba Kelalan road in Lawas are calling on the relevant authorities to repair the 75km road as the number of potholes along the stretch is increasing by the day.
One of them, Balan Berauk, 41, of Kampung Long Tanid in Long Semadoh Lawas said the once-muddy logging track which was upgraded to a tar-sealed
road by Royal Engineering Regiment of the Malaysian Armed Forces under the ‘Jiwa Murni’ project was now in dire need of maintenance.
“I am one of the regular road users as I transport people from Lawas town to villages almost every day.
“As I drive from Long Luping up to Ba Kelalan, I see a lot of potholes and it has become worse lately due to the weather and overloaded vehicles passing through the road,” Balan claimed when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
He said the road only gave them a smooth ride for about three years after it was upgraded, and possibly could last longer if it was of better quality and standard.
Meanwhile, another road user who requested anonymity agreed that the road needed urgent repair as it posed danger especially to those travelling at night.
“It is very dangerous at night as there are no street lights, making it difficult to avoid the potholes,” she said.
She alleged that the tar sealing was thin, which might have caused the road to be damaged easily.
She and her family travelled on the road to Ba Kelalan on December 24 to celebrate Christmas.
Concurring with her was Ukab Tuie, a 61-year-old villager from Kampung Long Semadoh A.
“We were told before the project took off that the tar sealing would be double layer, but from what we have seen, it could have been a layer only,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Ukab said although the authorities filled the potholes from time to time, the problem persisted because the road was heavily used.
“At first, they used soil to fill the potholes, but after we complained, they are now using either cement or rocks,” he claimed.