KUCHING: Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin has seen for himself that there is much room for improvement in the state’s public bus service after taking several bus rides here and in Miri.
“I was at the bus stop in front of City Inn at 6am this morning, waiting for the bus, thinking of going to Bako. I waited until 7.50am, the bus did not turn up. So I asked the bus operator, and they said the bus driver fell sick,” he told a press conference after a meeting with bus operators here.
On another bus ride from the Stutong Market to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), which is a distance of about 8km, Lee said the journey took him one hour and 45 minutes.
At 4.30pm on the same day, he said he waited one hour and 10 minutes for a bus from SGH to Kota Samarahan.
In Miri, he observed that many people were dependent on buses.
“In Permyjaya, at 5.30am, the first bus was full, the next bus (scheduled for) 6.30am was also quite full. These are people going to work every day,” he said.
Lee said among the feedback he gathered was that buses must not be late otherwise passengers would also be late for work.
“So I told the bus operators today to work on their schedule,” he said.
At the Stutong Market here, he said he could help but wonder why private vehicles occupied the bus bay and no bus schedule was displayed at the bus stand there.
“People parked their cars at the whole bus bay and walk to Stutong Market in the morning. Without the bus schedule at the bus stand, people don’t know what time the bus is going to come.
“Also, there is no bins at the bus stand,” he said, adding that proper receptacles for the disposal of waste must be provided for people who might consume some food or snacks while waiting for their ride.
In this connection, Lee urged the local councils to provide rubbish bins at various bus stands with shelter as well as bus operators to display the bus schedule.
He said bus operators had informed him of the problems they faced, among them were ageing bus drivers and the cost of acquiring bus driving licences.
“It cost them about RM6,000 to RM7,000 to get the bus driving licence. There are other problems like with van sapu (unlicensed transport) and Grab (e-hailing).
“I also had the opportunity to experience the traffic jam problem, from Stutong up to King’s Centre. My ministry will gather all information, working with stakeholders to come up with some proposals,” he said.
According to Lee, his ministry wants to work on improving the existing public bus services while other plans like the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme were being implemented.
He said he met Federal Minister of Transport Anthony Loke Siew Fook last November to discuss a number of issues relating to Sarawak’s public transport system.
“One of them is the payment of incentive under the Interim Stage Bus Support Fund. I have emphasised that bus operators must be paid promptly.”
Lee said the bus operators in Sarawak had received their latest payments last September.
“Once the payment is regular, bus operators must observe the licensing conditions under LPKP (Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board), the schedule especially.
“Also, we need a bus depot for bus operators to put their buses. My ministry will take note and liaise with various departments and local councils to solve the problems.
“We are also looking into the possibility of using mobile app. My ministry will do the study,” he added.
Following his personal observation on the ground, Lee said the ministry will work with all stakeholders to come up with practical solutions and provide public bus services that meet the needs of the people.
“But it will take a bit of time because my ministry is still new,” he said.
Lee, after serving as an assistant minister for 15 years with his last portfolio as Tourism, Arts and Culture assistant minister, was promoted to a full minister during the cabinet reshuffle last August.