KUCHING: The Sarawak Transport Ministry is exploring additional flight and express bus services before and after polling day for the 13th Sarawak state election to help voters return home to cast their ballots.
In a statement today, the state ministry said it had contacted airlines and express bus operators to explore the possibility of increasing services, particularly flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
The move takes into account the large number of Sarawakians working in various states in the peninsula, as well as in Singapore and Sabah, who could face difficulties securing transport home as travel demand rises ahead of the election.
For air travel, MOTS has asked airlines to consider increasing flight frequencies during the week before and the week after polling day.
This is to accommodate voters returning to Sarawak to cast their ballots and facilitate their journeys back to their workplaces after voting.
For express bus services, the ministry has advised and encouraged operators in Sarawak to temporarily increase trip frequencies from three days before polling day until three days after.
It has also encouraged operators to provide additional services, deploy standby buses and open online ticket sales earlier to prevent ticket shortages.
The ministry said the measures were important to ensure safe and smooth travel along Sarawak's main routes throughout the period.
However, any changes to express bus schedules will be subject to notification and approval by the Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board.
Additional flights will depend on airlines' operational capacity and the necessary approvals.
Details of additional flights and express bus services, including schedules and ticket availability, will be announced by the respective operators once confirmed.
The ministry has encouraged Sarawakians planning to return home to vote to make travel arrangements and bookings early to avoid difficulties securing tickets at the last minute.
The public has also been advised to refer to the transport operators' official channels for accurate information on schedules, fares and ticket bookings.
The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly was officially dissolved today. Under Article 21(4) of the Sarawak Constitution, an election must be held within 60 days of its dissolution.
Following the dissolution, the Election Commission will hold a special meeting on Nov 6 to determine the key dates for the 13th Sarawak state election.
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