KUCHING, Jan 9 ― The federal Ministry of Transport (MoT) will fully fund the training of 300 new bus drivers in Sarawak to address the state’s bus driver shortage, said its minister Anthony Loke.

The initiative was unveiled during a meeting between Loke and Sarawak Bus Transport Companies Association (SBTCA) representatives at the Sultan Iskandar building here yesterday.

"Various issues were discussed and presented to us for possible solutions to improve the bus sector. One issue is the shortage of bus drivers. We have reached a decision on this matter, whereby the Ministry of Transport will assist these bus operators, and we have offered to train 300 new bus drivers.

"We will provide training to these candidates to obtain the E and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licences, with the federal government covering the costs amounting RM3,000 to RM5,000 per person through the Ministry of Transport,” said Loke when met by reporters after the meeting’s conclusion.

He said that SBTCA will identify and recruit these candidates for training, on the condition that these candidates will be hired as employees.

Not only will they have a licence, they will also have a job as bus drivers, whether for express or stop-and-go buses, he added.

"We want our rakyat to have job opportunities; with the government helping them get the license, they don’t have to bear a significant cost to obtain them. At the same time, the bus companies in the state will solve the driver shortage issue.”

On another note, Loke stated that the tender for the Stage Bus Services Transformation (SBST) programme in Kuching will be issued by the end of the month, and assured local bus operators will have the opportunity.

"The tender is limited to operators who operate in Sarawak, meaning companies from the Peninsula or other states cannot participate in this tender process. This tender is specifically for operators in Sarawak only.

"Furthermore, I have requested the Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (LPKP) to further discuss with the Sarawak Ministry of Transport to harmonise policies regarding bus types, routes, and so on.

"It needs to be standardised and coordinated between the Sarawak LPKP and the Ministry of Transport in Sarawak,” he added.

Also present at the meeting were Loke’s deputy minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah; MoT secretary-general Dato Jana Santhiran Muniayan; LPKP Sarawak director Cornelia Wong Chui; and Road Transport Department (JPJ) deputy director-general (Planning and Operations) Aedy Fadly Ramli. ― Borneo Post