KUCHING: The Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS) has written to airlines and express bus operators to explore for additional services before and after polling day for the upcoming 13th Sarawak State Election (PRN), particularly flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, MOT said the move aims to support Sarawakians returning to their registered constituencies to fulfil their civic duty.

The Ministry recognises that many Sarawakians work in various states in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as in Singapore and Sabah, and may face challenges in arranging their journeys home during periods of high travel demand.

For air travel, MOTS has requested airlines to plan for increased flight frequencies during the week before and the week after polling day, to accommodate voters travelling home to vote and their return journeys afterwards.

For express bus services, MOTS has advised and encouraged operators in Sarawak to temporarily increase trip frequencies from three days before polling day until three days after polling day.

The Ministry has also encouraged express bus operators to schedule additional services, deploy reserve buses and make tickets available for early online booking to help prevent ticket shortages and facilitate safe and smooth travel along major routes in Sarawak.

Any changes to express bus trip schedules remain subject to notification to and approval by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sarawak.

Additional flights will depend on the airlines’ operational capacity and the necessary approvals.

Details of any additional flights or express bus services, including schedules and ticket availability, will be announced by the respective operators once confirmed.

MOTS encourages travellers to plan their journeys early and refer to operators’ official channels for accurate information on schedules, fares and bookings. – UKASnews

Prepared by: Ryan Lim