SANDAKAN – Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya has urged people not to place trees in potholes on roads, as it poses a risk to road users.
“By placing obstacles on the road without the Public Works Department’s (PWD) approval, it would indirectly endanger the safety of road users. Don’t take any actions against the law.
“They (the public) may think that this is an effective way to make pictures (of banana trees in potholes) go viral on social media, but this could easily pose a risk to others, especially if the relevant authorities are not able to take action on time,” Shahelmey, who is also state works minister, told reporters after launching a road-safety campaign here today.
This was after residents of Kinabatangan resorted to placing a banana tree in a huge pothole and subsequently shared images of the situation in order to prompt the authorities to initiate repairs.
This has yielded positive outcomes, as the Sabah PWD shared on its official Facebook page last Tuesday that action had been taken to address the condition of the Sandakan-Tawau Road, near Kg Paris 3, Kinabatangan.
The department accompanied the announcement with a photograph showing the banana tree placed inside the pothole, while clarifying that the maintenance responsibilities lay with a concession company that had been closely monitoring the situation.
It further said that adverse weather conditions may have hindered the company’s efforts to carry out necessary repairs.
Shahelmey said instead of taking matters into their own hands, the people should submit their complaints about road conditions to the Sabah PWD directly.
He assured that his ministry would check and verify complaints within 24 hours.
After the “Paris banana tree” picture went viral and prompted authorities to take action, more banana trees began to “appear” along the Kinabatangan road, as seen on Facebook.
Earlier, Shahelmey said that the damaged roads, including the Sandakan-Telupid road and the Kinabatangan-Lahad Datu road, were federal roads for which the PWD in the respective districts would oversee the activities of the concession companies responsible for the maintenance of these roads.
He explained that the maintenance works were categorised into three types: routine, periodic and emergency.
However, emergency maintenance tasks are frequently postponed due to unavoidable obstacles, such as heavy and persistent rainfall, he added.
“Bad weather and heavy traffic can occasionally lead to potholes.
“I have directed the Sabah PWD director and concession companies involved to remain vigilant in ensuring the safety of existing roads while awaiting the federal government’s completion of the remaining 20 packages under Phase 1 of the state’s Pan Borneo Highway project,” he added.
Separately, Shahelmey said Sandakan was one of the top three districts in Sabah with the highest number of recorded road accidents, totalling 1,800 cases between 2022 and 2023.
He said that drivers must adhere to the signs placed along the road, including speed-limit signs, especially on damaged roads, to prevent accidents.
He reminded drivers in the area to exercise caution on the road, particularly during festive seasons when traffic volume is higher.
Since last year, the Kinabatangan-Lahad Datu and Telupid-Sandakan roads have been reported to be in poor condition, leading to extensive traffic congestion accidents, and stranded vehicles with punctured tyres along the roadside.
The two roads serve as the sole primary routes linking various districts along Sabah’s east coast. – February 8, 2024