By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Ministry of Works (KKR) and the Public Works Department (JKR) has been urged to take immediate action to restore lighting, carry out overdue maintenance and upgrade the tunnel connecting Sepanggar Port and Jalan Sepanggar.
Former Inanam State Assemblyman and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) P171 Sepanggar vice-chief Datuk Dr Roland Chia Ming Shen in making the call said the tunnel is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Works.
For an extended period, the tunnel has been left in total darkness, creating a serious safety hazard for thousands of motorists, commercial transport operators and port workers who use this vital route daily.
“This tunnel is not a minor back road; it is a critical logistics corridor serving Sabah’s primary container port and connecting major residential and industrial zones in Sepanggar,” said Chia.
“Leaving a high-traffic vehicular tunnel completely unlit is an invitation to tragedy. Drivers transitioning from bright daylight into pitch darkness face sudden ‘black-hole’ blindness, drastically reducing reaction times and increasing the risk of multi-vehicle collisions, especially involving heavy container lorries and motorcycles.”
Chia said basic road safety infrastructure should not be treated as an afterthought, particularly along federal routes that support Sabah’s economy.
Apart from replacing faulty bulbs and repairing electrical systems, he called for a comprehensive infrastructure upgrade to bring the tunnel up to modern safety standards.
His proposals include:
Immediate restoration of lighting through repairs to faulty electrical systems and the installation of reliable, energy-efficient LED tunnel lighting with backup power provisions to eliminate dark spots.
Scheduled preventive maintenance through a strict and transparent maintenance schedule by the relevant federal agencies and concessionaires to ensure the lighting, drainage and road surfaces remain in good condition.
Comprehensive safety upgrades, including high-visibility reflective road studs, clear warning signs at tunnel approaches and improved CCTV monitoring to enable a rapid emergency response.
“Motorists in Sepanggar deserve safe, well-maintained infrastructure that matches the economic importance of the Sepanggar Bay Container Port,” Chia said.
“We urge the Federal Ministry of Works to deploy technical teams to the site immediately and resolve this hazard before lives are needlessly lost,” he said.
‘This tunnel is not a minor back road; it is a critical logistics corridor serving Sabah’s primary container port and connecting major residential and industrial zones in Sepanggar’ – Chia
