Puspakom Miri expansion needed to support surge in heavy vehicles, infrastructure growth

Lee during a visit to Puspakom Miri on May 4, 2026.

By DayakDaily Team

MIRI May 5: The facilities and services at Puspakom Miri need to be enhanced to keep pace with the growing number of heavy vehicles driven by Sarawak’s rapid infrastructure development.

In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Minister for Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said ongoing and upcoming projects such as road construction, port expansion, and industrial development have significantly increased the demand for a more efficient vehicle inspection system.

He said this requires faster and more streamlined processes to ensure logistics and construction activities are not disrupted.

“If vehicles fail inspection or take a long time to be approved, it will affect the smooth running of work at project sites. Therefore, we want this process to be expedited,” he said during a working visit to Puspakom Miri on Monday (May 4).

Currently, Puspakom Miri has the capacity to inspect around 190 vehicles daily, with an average of about 145 vehicles processed each day. While operations are still within capacity, he noted that future demand will likely require additional facilities, equipment, and manpower.

In view of this, Lee proposed expanding the Puspakom Miri compound, including increasing space and improving amenities to facilitate smoother vehicle flow.

He also highlighted several ongoing improvements, including an upgraded online appointment system that now allows bookings up to three months in advance, compared to one month previously.

He added that vehicles failing inspection due to minor visible issues such as tyres, lights, or reflectors can now be repaired and re-inspected on the same day without having to re-queue, helping to speed up the approval process.

In addition, he revealed that Puspakom is planning to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) technology for undercarriage inspections starting next year.

“Using the manual method, inspections take about 10 minutes. With AI, this can be reduced to just one minute,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lee also stressed the need to upgrade or relocate the Puspakom facility in Bintulu to a more suitable site.

He said the current location is no longer adequate to meet rising demand, particularly with the rapid growth of heavy industries and port activities in the area, as well as the proposed development of an integrated lorry terminal. — DayakDaily