Kota Kinabalu: Road concessionaires have been told to immediately repair roads and bridges damaged in areas that come under their jurisdiction in the recent floods.
“I visited areas hit by floods in Paitan such as Kg Atong, Lingkabau, Kg Ulu Toliduson, Kg Sungai-Sungai, Kg Sulit and so on.
Advertisement“We found a lot of damage, especially bridges. In Lingkabau, two 50-metre bridges need to be rebuilt to connect several villages,” said State Minister of Community Development and People’s Wellbeing (KPMKR) Datuk James Ratib.
The Sugut Assemblyman said residents would need to go to clinics and schools, in addition to transporting agricultural produce from their farms.
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“Special attention for construction of the bridge also in Kg Ulu Toliduson because the village road is the only important alternative that the residents rely on to carry their crops.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“If the bridge cannot be built, there will be no alternative if anything happens, in addition to difficulty to market their agricultural products,” he said, adding that in Kg Sungai-Sungai the bridge that has nearly collapsed is the only main route for some 500 villagers.
“They are now devoid of land connections as the residents cannot enter or exit the area. So I ask the government or the concession company to build or repair this bridge fast,” he said, adding he would instruct the Public Works Department to list all the damaged infrastructure.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Likewise, the State Development Department under the ICU so they can identify which damage needs priority. Food baskets have been distributed to ease their burden in facing this ordeal. The security forces are on standby to face any eventuality and assist victims and transfer them to temporary evacuation centres (PPS).
Meanwhile, Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Youth Council Chairman Steve Johnny Mositun said JKR and the concessionaire companies must immediately rectify potholes that can endanger motorists, even resulting in tragedy.
He said reports and public complaints on potholes cannot be taken lightly.
Steve was commenting on the incident which claimed the life of a motorcyclist due to a pothole near the Lido Flyover, Jalan Lintas.
Anthonius William (pic) , 38, a father of three young children, died after skidding on a damaged road at 11.15am on Monday (Feb. 3), when he was travelling from City Mall towards Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), when he hit a pothole in the middle lane and lost control.
He died from severe head injuries. “This is not an ordinary accident, but a reflection of the government’s weakness in ensuring public safety and that public infrastructures are safe.
“The poorly maintained road condition cost a life and the accident occurred in the morning when visibility was clear. The pothole that claimed the life of a father of three children on Monday.
“If such incident can happen during the day, what about at night? This clearly shows the failure of the relevant authorities.
“The public is losing trust as such incidents continue to happen without action taken against the negligent parties. How many lives need to be sacrificed before drastic measures are taken,” Steve said. He called for a thorough investigation and for appropriate action.
“We cannot let this incident pass without action. We cannot let this tragedy become just another statistic without any change,” he said.