SANDAKAN: The residents of Kampung Tanjong Piasau near here have called for the construction of a bridge across Sungai Lalasun to ease their burden in crossing the river for their daily chores.
Currently, villagers are charged RM30 by a barge operator to ferry a car across the river while it is RM75 to send a lorry across the 100 metre stretch to the other side of the river.
A villager, Borhan Yaakob said sometimes when the barge was not operating or had broke down, their crops and produce would be affected.
"Every time the barge operator takes a rest day, our goods would be stranded in the village and we poor villagers are bearing additional cost on the barge," he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, Kampung Tanjong Piasau Security and Development Committee chairman Abdul Salam Sahak said about 650 residents in the village comprised mostly fishermen or oil palm farmers. He said the construction of a bridge would also facilitate children in the village to go to school. -- Bernama