THE ongoing works on the Pan Borneo Highway is making it a dangerous road to drive on, even to its regular users.

With contractors failing to undertake minor maintenance like patching up the many potholes, lack of proper signboards and hazard warnings on dangerous bends, along with many diversions, make a drive on many stretches of the 1,077km highway in Sarawak, a real challenge.

Many said it’s particularly dangerous at night as the highway is still unlit.

Abun Sui Anyit, who uses the highway to get from Miri, where he lives, to Bintulu at least once a week for his political work, said he was nearly involved in a head-on collision with a four-wheel-drive one night travelling between Selangau and Sibu.

“I turned into the wrong lane. I’ve driven many times on this stretch of the highway but on that particular day, I did not see any signboard at the new road diversion.

“I took a turn to a new lane which I thought was the correct lane. After driving for a short while up the road, I then saw the lights of an oncoming vehicle approaching very fast.”

The Sarawak PKR information chief, who is eyeing a ticket to contest the Belaga seat in the next state elections, said the near miss shook him up because he was travelling with his two teenage sons.

“There was no signboard to indicate which turn or lane I should have taken at the diversion,” he said.

“Even if there is one, I did not see it. So, I assumed the signboard was not properly installed.”

Abun said in general, there were not enough signboards to warn users of dangers on the highway.

“I consider myself a regular user and who is familiar with every stone, hole and diversion. Still, I think the highway is dangerous.

“For those who have never driven on it or had only taken it once in a while, it can be very dangerous if they are not cautious.”

Kuching resident Vatsalla Lamit, who takes a 114km trip every month to her longhouse in Saratok to visit her father, described her monthly drive as a “pain in the ass”.

She said while the drive from Kuching to Saratok was “not that bad”, the same cannot be said of her recent drive from the gas town of Bintulu to Sibu.

“Bintulu to Sibu was bad, especially at night. There’s just not enough signboards to warn you of dangerous bends ahead.

“In many cases, there is none. It’s really dangerous at night.”

Potholes are also making Vatsalla furious as she said some of them can ruin car axles.

“Many of the road diversions have potholes, big ones,” she said.

Vatsalla said first-time drivers of the Pan Borneo Highway should always be alert due to its many dangers, including other drivers.

“Always watch out for those mad drivers who overtake recklessly. They add to the dangers on the road.”

The last time oil and gas executive James Joshua drove on the highway to reach home in Pakan, Saratok, last Christmas, he took a wrong turn at a diversion.

He said he drove for nearly half a kilometre before he realised he was driving against the flow of traffic.

“It was the stretch between the Bakun junction and Bintulu, it’s scary when you see oncoming traffic on the same lane.”

Since construction of the highway began, Joshua said he had made three wrong turns – all due to absence of signboards.

Since then, he made it a point not to drive at night, adding that it would be “hell” to do so.

Joshua said the dangerous highway reflects the lack of certified safety health officers (SHOs) in the companies contracted to build it.

“Seems like nobody is monitoring the safety aspect on the highway,” he said.

Businessman Gerald Mather, who has been driving on the highway for the last 30 years, believes the new Pan Borneo is more dangerous than the two-lane highway he was used to.

“I grew up experiencing the construction of the Pan Borneo in the past 30 years.”

Having to drive it at least twice a month for work and to visit relatives in Betong and Miri, he said the Selangau-Tatau stretch is the worst.

“Complaints of the bad road condition there are a never-ending story.”

Like everybody else, Mather said signage and road safety need to be improved.

“More safety lights and reflectors are needed. For those who rarely drive on the Pan Borneo, it can be a bit challenging and risky.

“I have heard people saying how certain stretches can be confusing but luckily I haven’t experienced it.” – August 2, 2020.