Lating Minggang
KAPIT: It is time for this district to have its own designated Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom), in view of the high number of registered vehicles here.
In making this call, Kapit District Council chairman Lating Minggang points out that Kapit has some 20,000 registered vehicles, and this number excludes those registered in other divisions in Sarawak.
According to him, Puspakom Sibu would assign its officers to Kapit once every two months to carry out vehicles’ inspections and other services, both for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, and these operations would take place at the Bletih Light Industrial Estate here.
“Imagine the number of registered vehicles in Kapit and the limited frequency of Puspakom providing its services here – this is what many Kapit folk have to endure every time they go for vehicles’ inspections, where just waiting for their turns could take hours.
“The absence of a Puspakom permanent service centre in Kapit is costing us a big loss of time.
“All commercial vehicles must undergo inspection once every six months according to the specification, and that is only one of many services required by the folk here – there are also inspections for roadworthiness, issuance and re-issuance of road tax and insurance, as well as transfer of ownership.
“These are the key reasons why Kapit urgently needs its own Puspakom,” said Lating in a statement yesterday.
A quick observation over Bletih Light Industrial Estate here showed a long line of lorries awaiting turns to undergo Puspakom inspection.
A long queue of lorries awaiting turns for inspection at Bletih Light Industrial Estate.
One of the vehicle owners, who wished to be identified only as ‘Ah Aik’, told The Borneo Post that normally, his worker would make sure that he would arrive at the industrial estate very early in the morning just to secure a spot in front of the queue.
“Even then, there were times when other drivers had arrived much earlier than him – there’s just so many vehicles coming for Puspakom examination.”
When told about Lating’s call for the setting up of a permanent Puspakom here, Ah Aik immediately showed his thumbs-up.
“I second the proposal by the ‘Walikota’ (council chairman). We should have our own Puspakom here – a permanent service centre with adequate staff stationed here.
“This is because Kapit and Song are growing – their population and the number of vehicles are increasing, especially now that the Baleh dam construction is underway where hundreds of heavy vehicles are going into and out of the construction site.
“Having our own Puspakom will also enhance the delivery service and network in Kapit,” said Ah Aik.