KAPIT: The busy Bletih cargo wharf, about five kilometres from town, is a sorry sight, and yet Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) has the temerity to charge users.
The condition of a section of Bletih cargo wharf drive.
SRB used to station a worker at this creeper-covered booth.
The only street light along the road leading to Bletih cargo wharf has malfunctioned.
The area is also pitch black at night because two of the three street lights along the pot-holed road leading to the wharf are ‘missing’, while another malfunctioned some time ago.
Wharf users have urged the authorities to resolve these problems, but to no avail.
“It’s not free to use the wharf. An SRB employee collects parking fee from every vessel. We are thankful to the government for the cargo wharf, but it should be properly maintained,” said cargo vessel owner ‘Ah Kien’.
The road leading to the wharf is forever water-logged, the booth that SRB once used is now covered with creepers, and the platform for loading/unloading is covered with a thick layer of sand and gravel.
“The street lights have all conked out, so it’s difficult for us to work at night. We have to rush through things, even at night, as this is the only cargo vessel wharf here.”
Ah Kien claimed he had alerted SRB and the authority responsible for street lighting, but no action was ever taken.
Lorry driver ‘Ah Tiong’ said working in total darkness was absurd and dangerous.
“But what can we do? I have clients and some require us to work at odd hours, sometimes.”