Deputy minister suggests govt sustain the only means of public transport in Upper Rajang
Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi
SIBU: The government has been urged to consider giving more subsidies to boat operators plying the Upper Rajang if cost factor is the reason no operators want to take up that route.
Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi suggested the subsidy covered operational cost besides the existing fuel subsidy.
“Maybe the fuel subsidy is not enough and I would like to urge the government to work out some kind of meaningful subsidy for these people to continue their operations.
Nanta urged the authorities to talk to the owners of the company to understand why they stopped the service.
“The boat service is a private business, if the operators stop it, there is nothing much that we can do.
“That is why the authorities should talk with the operators to understand why they stopped the service. We should help if they are facing difficulties,” Nanta, who is Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development, told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He suggested the government provide similar subsidy to that given to Rapid KL and MASwings to the express boat operator.
“For example, the government should consider giving more subsidies to these operators and not just fuel subsidy but subsidy on their operational cost.”
He said because the express boat service along this route was the only cheap public transport for the people in the area the government should assist the operators to sustain their business.
He was commenting on the news report carried by The Borneo Post on the sole operator stopping the express boat service from Kapit to Belaga since June 19.
According to the report, those staying along the Rajang River upstream from Kapit up to Belaga and Bakun had to take the arduous and expensive route by land to Bintulu and on to here before going up the Rajang by boat to reach Kapit.
Councillor Melai Alang was reported to have made an urgent appeal to Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) to assist besides calling on local elected representatives to help restore the boat service, being the chief mode of transport in the upper reaches.