Miri-Marudi road popular choice

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MARUDI: The Miri-Marudi road has become the route of choice for many returning to their longhouses and villages for Gawai Dayak.

This is because the tar-sealed surface can be used by vehicles of all sizes including small cars.

Long queues of vehicles were seen at the Sungai Arang ferry point as many waited to cross the Bakong River.

Marudi town was also packed with a lot of cars coming from Miri and elsewhere, as drivers stopped before proceeding to their respective longhouses.

There were actually not enough parking bays at the bazaar due to the festival influx of vehicles.

The popularity of travelling by road could explain why less passengers were seen at the Marudi Express Boat Terminal yesterday.

Only those whose longhouses are situated along the Baram River or Tutoh River and cannot be reached by land chose to travel by express boat.

These include those from Kuala Tutoh, Long Ikang, Logan Sibung, Long Banyok and longhouses between Marudi and Long Lama Bazaar.

Some villagers from the Sungai Peking area, Bakong and other river tributaries were also seen arriving in their own longboats to pick up their family members.