By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 1: The Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sarawak has refuted claims allegedly made by City Public Link Bus Service Sdn Bhd (CPL) that insufficient financial support from the board led to a fare adjustment on the Kuching-Serian-Kuching route, calling these claims misleading and inaccurate.
CVLB Sarawak chairman Michael Kong clarified that CPL’s assertion of a lack of financial backing did not accurately reflect the situation.
Contrary to their claims, he disclosed that CVLB Sarawak has extended the Temporary Assistance Fund for Stage Bus Operators (DBSPB) 2023-2025 programme to CPL, which remains active until December 2025.
“This means CPL is still eligible to receive subsidies from CVLB Sarawak to help cover part of their operating costs.
“Upon our checks, we have been processing CPL’s claims under the DBSPB programme through September 2024, though several of their submissions were incomplete. We have actively engaged with CPL, requesting additional documentation to facilitate the disbursement of subsidies,” he stated in a statement today.
Kong explained that the DBSPB programme requires bus operators to submit complete claims within 90 days, a deadline that CPL has repeatedly missed.
Despite this, CVLB Sarawak has granted multiple extensions, and yet CPL did not submit any claims for 2023, despite continuous efforts from the board to assist.
“CPL’s misrepresentation of CVLB Sarawak’s role in their fare adjustment is deeply regrettable. It wrongly paints CVLB Sarawak as the cause of the fare increase when, in reality, the primary reason, as acknowledged by CPL, is the Sarawak government’s withdrawal of subsidies for routes that overlap with the new BAS.MY Kuching service,” he added
CVLB Sarawak reaffirmed its commitment to supporting public transport operators and ensuring the public benefits from a sustainable, efficient transport system.
The board urged all operators, including CPL, to submit their claims on time to ensure that financial aid can be processed promptly and without delay.
“We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to achieve this balance as we take public transport affordability and sustainability seriously,” he added. — DayakDaily
