SIBU: Passengers here have praised the enforcement authorities for the tight control measures in place at Sibu Express Boat Terminal to ensure an incident-free festive celebration.
A passenger, Andrew Shilling, who is also a political secretary to Chief Minister, commented that the measures taken were for their own good.
“I applaud the works carried out by Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB), in ensuring that only those having express boat tickets are allowed into the departure area,” Shilling told The Borneo Post.
He was accompanying Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh for a pre-Gawai visit to Nanga Tutus on Sunday.
According to Shilling , Rela members helped to control the entry points at the terminal.
The personnel from Civil Defence Department (JPAM) were also there to provide assistance, he added.
“The passengers were reminded to take care of their belongings including their wallets and valuables from pick pockets.
“In general, the safety measures were guaranteed,” Shilling observed.
Meanwhile, SRB had implemented various controls to ensure there was no overloading.
In line with the ‘No Ticket, No Entry’ policy, any passenger without ticket, would be refused entry into the departure area.
In addition, SRB enforced stringent checks on passenger boats, including pre-departure inspection.
Boats would not be allowed to depart from the terminal if SRB were not satisfied with safety compliance level of the boats.
A departure pass would be issued once the boat fulfilled all the safety requirements.