KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III and Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport, Ewon Benedick, said that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for railbus operations will be comprehensively tightened to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
He said the move follows a report on a collision involving a railbus and a motor trolley in Tenom, which was presented during a state cabinet meeting.
According to him, preliminary investigations found that the motor trolley was already on the railway track and was not thrown onto the track to stop a train that was allegedly out of control.
“The motor trolley was already on the track because it is one of the transportation modes used by residents in the area. Therefore, the claim that it was thrown onto the track to stop the train is not true,” he said.
He told reporters this during a breaking-of-fast event organised by the Sabah State Railway Department in Kota Kinabalu.
Ewon said investigations also found that the railbus losing control was caused by negligence in ensuring that the brake system was fully checked before the train began its journey on the day of the incident.
However, he said that after the incident, the train driver carried out a detailed inspection of the braking system and took the necessary steps before continuing the journey.
“After the inspection, the same railbus continued its journey to Tenom Station carrying about 12 teachers and several other passengers, and the trip proceeded smoothly without any brake problems,” he said.
He added that according to regulations, no other movement should occur on railway tracks. Therefore, the issue will also be reviewed thoroughly, including the legal aspects contained in the existing enactment.
Ewon also assured the public that railway services in Sabah remain safe as long as all safety SOPs are fully complied with.
“I assure that the trains currently in use are still safe provided that all procedures and safety inspections are properly followed,” he said.
He also plans to ride the same railbus himself to observe the situation in the area, possibly after the Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
During the event, Ewon also presented Ramadan contributions to users of the Sabah railway service as a token of appreciation for their continued support.
According to him, the programme is a tradition of the Sabah State Railway Department to recognise loyal passengers who continue using the service.
“From my communication with passengers, some travel from Beaufort using this service to Kota Kinabalu either for work or to study at higher education institutions,” he said.
Also present were Secretary of the Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Thomas Logijin and Director of the Sabah State Railway Department, Mohammad Safri Abd Habi.
