Kee and his big family from Marudi visiting relatives in Miri.
MIRI: The paved road all the way from Miri to Marudi is a boon to those returning home for the Chinese New Year celebration and visiting friends and relatives in the town or vice-versa in Miri and beyond.
The formerly dreaded slippery, pot-holed road is a thing of the past this festive season and locals are heading to visit relatives in droves as the journey now takes less than an hour between Miri and Marudi town.
An army of relatives heading to Miri for the Chinese New Year was a common phenomenon in the Chinese Lunar Year of the Boar as the good though windy road makes it a breeze to drive compared to the old days when it was passable only to 4WD vehicles .
However, the good road means drivers have also increased the speed of travel and this could be dangerous if they cut into the lane of oncoming vehicle along this narrow road, particularly at sharp corners.
“There has been more accidents since the road was paved, mostly involving those who lost control of their vehicle,” rued regular traveller Kee King Siang.
Together with his family members and relatives, they drove from Marudi to visit relatives in Miri on the third day of the Chinese New Year and returned home hours later before sunset.
He said road users had to exercise greater care on this narrow and windy road as it could be fatal if there is any head-on collision or vehicle plunging down the ravine.
Kee welcomed the road railings put up as a protective measure but said it is better for road users to be safe than sorry.
He agreed with the call by Assistant Minister of Local Government and Marudi state assemblyman Datu Dr Penguang Manggil who advised road users to exercise defensive driving and be safe this festive season.
Earlier last month, the assistant minister urged motorists to refrain from speeding and cutting corners which could endanger lives and property during this Chinese New Year “Balik Kampung” exodus.
He anticipated higher volume of traffic on this windy paved road where users are now driving faster than previously due to better road condition.
The Miri-Marudi Road was first initiated under the Jiwa Murni Project following the alignment and the contour of a disused logging road with the intention to provide road connectivity to Marudi and its immediate hinterland, and hence is narrow and windy.
Penguang also proposed to the contractor to put road safety features such as reflective mirrors at sharp corners or blind spots to enable drivers to be aware of oncoming vehicles, giving them enough time to react.