Board revisiting express bus weight limit in Sarawak, may synchronise with Sabah

SIBU (May 24): The Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (LPKP) is revisiting its policies to address the weight limit of express buses.

LPKP Sarawak chairman Michael Kong said this would involve synchronising policies with LPKP Sabah to ensure they are up to date.

“We have been looking into it for the last three months or so, on how we can limit the amount of weight into express buses at the point of time,” he told reporters during the Gawai road safety campaign launch at Sibu Express Bus Terminal last night.

“Currently, in LPKP, we have our seating capacity for every bus. So far, there have not been any cases where the number of passengers was more than the seating capacity.”

Kong pointed out there are often empty seats on buses which, according to public feedback, are used to transport goods.

“For example, if there are 40 or 44 seats, at most 40 or 44 passengers. There will not be more than that. But there are cases, where there are fewer passengers than the number of seats, where empty seats are used to transport goods.

“We at LPKP Sarawak are actually looking into it. Because we understand the concerns of the public. JPJ has calculated (the weight) by the number of the seats in a bus. There is a limit to the weight the bus can carry.

“And if you carry more goods than what the weight allowance of the bus is, it will be a bit dangerous,” he said.

Among those present at the event were Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Alice Lau, Sibu MP Oscar Ling, and former Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang.