By William Isau
SIBU, May 30: The Gawai Dayak celebration is less than two days away.
For umpteen years, the Sibu-Kapit Express Boat Terminal would be packed to the brim, as Gawai travellers working outstation rushed home to their longhouses in Song and Kapit.
There were even incidents of overloaded express boats carrying more than the permitted passenger capacity. This prompted Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) to implement strict measures where only passengers with valid fares could enter the departure hall.
At the departure hall, every passenger would still have to note down their particulars.
However, the good old days for express boats are now gone. There is only one boat from here to Kapit now which departs at 8am daily.
After the boat departs, the departure hall of the terminal will be eerily quiet with not a single soul.
Fleet of express boats can now be seen grounded at the terminal and have been left unkempt.
These are all unmistakable signs that the express boat service here is dying, its fate sealed by the completion of the 110km-long Sibu-Song-Kapit road.
Outside the terminal, passenger vans are doing good business, charging RM35 per passenger to Kapit, compared to RM22 per passenger charged by bus companies.
Van operator Langan Tedong said he is making two trips per day to Kapit.
Langan who is a member of Persatuan Van Sewa Kapit said it takes him three hours to reach Kapit from here, compared to the usual two-and-a-half hours.
“The road to Kapit is now quite congested as people are using the road instead of express boat,” he said.
Jennifer Moses, 32, was spotted waiting in front of the terminal for a van to take her to her longhouse in Kapit.
“Since I did not book the only express boat to Kapit at 8am, I have to use a van. I don’t mind paying RM35 as long as I can reach my longhouse, compared to just between RM20 to RM35 for express boat,” she said.
As a hotel staff staying in the Sibu town centre, she shared that it was more convenient for her to use express boat as the terminal is nearer to where she stays.
“The express bus terminal is far from the town centre. If I use the bus, I will have to board a van to the bus terminal. This will burden me as I am bringing my belongings such as food and drink for the Gawai celebration,” she added. — DayakDaily
