KUCHING, Jan 4 — With immediate effect, a Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) officer will be stationed at every ferry point in the state to monitor daily ferry operations, said Assistant Infrastructure and Port Development Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi.

He said the standard operating procedure (SOP) at the 12 ferry points would also be tightened by allowing only the driver to remain in the vehicle while passengers have to get down and be seated in a special area.

"We already have the SOP in place but we (government) want to tighten it to improve safety for ferry passengers. Among the measures is placing warning signs on the approach to ferry operation zone, steel barriers on the route to enter ferry and regular safety announcements.

"Apart from this, every ferry passenger will be provided with a life jacket which is compulsory to be worn on board,” he added.

He said this after chairing a meeting on enhancing safety measures at jetties with Sarawak JKR, Sarawak Rivers Board and ferry operators from throughout the state.

The meeting was held in the wake of Friday’s incident where a four-wheel-drive rolled off the Triso ferry point platform and plunged into Batang Lupar river in Sri Aman, killing all nine people in the vehicle.

Julaihi said that in two weeks’ time JKR would conduct checks at every ferry point to ensure compliance with the new SOP, as many motorists use the Sarawak coastal road as an alternative to the Pan Borneo road.

He said every month an average of 48,000 vehicles travel on the coastal road, which would require them to use ferries along the way.

Seven of the 12 ferry points in Sarawak operate along the coastal road while the rest are located in other areas. — Bernama