KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Works minister Datuk Robert Tawik has called on the state Railway Department (JKNS) to provide more Inspection Trolleys (IT) for folks in Kampung Pangi and Rayoh in Tenom.
The additional IT will help ease the burden of the villagers who depended on the railway to travel for school, business and work, he said.
Robert, during a working visit to the train stations in Tenom and Pangi on Friday also called for the use of Suria Capital Engineering Services (SCES) maintenance machinery to assist residents, as well as logistical planning to transport building materials and workers to the work site.
Heavy flooding at the end of May caused severe damage and landslides at KM114 in Rayoh and KM124 and KM 130 in Pangi of the rail tracks.
The damages to the railway track resulted in the temporary suspension of the service for the Tenom-Pangi and Rayoh route.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin cum Works Minister was quoted as saying that the State Railway Department has provided an ‘inspection trolley’ (IT) in Rayoh and Pangi respectively as a replacement for the train service.
This is because only the inspection trolley can pass through the damaged track areas, he said, adding that the villagers will travel by the trolley to KM135 before boarding the diesel multiple unit (DMU) for Tenom.
Bung Moktar said that the trolley’s maximum capacity is eight people and is available round the clock in case of emergency cases.
“The state Railway Department is working to increase the number of trolleys in the affected areas and in the event of any emergencies, the public there can contact the department for assistance,” he said.
Robert during his inspection visit, took the IT to the sites where a landslide occurred before heading to Pangi station to meet with the villagers there where he had a dialogue with them to discuss the problems they faced because of the train service suspension.
He expressed satisfaction with the remedial measures taken by the state Railway Department to ease the burden of the villagers.
Among the measures taken were to appoint a contractor to carry out the repair work, implementing temporary measures to ensure that the train service resumes as soon as possible and providing the IT so that the villagers can bring their farm produce to market.
“To this end the state Railway department agreed to increase the number of IT while SCES agreed to help out by using their machinery to transport the villagers’ farm produce at least twice a week as per their request,” said Robert.
Robert also urged the Local Authorities and the police in Tenom to assist the state Railway Department so that the repair works can be expedited.
He also urged the villagers in the affected areas to limit their movements out of the villages and to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) enforced to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Robert was accompanied by state Railway Department Director Leonard Poyong, the department’s officers, as well as representatives from the Tenom District Office, district police and community leaders.
